The Guardians of Hogwarts
by Whisper18
Summary: ROTBTD fanfic. Voldemort was defeated, Harry and his friends are legends and the world has returned to peace. But now a new evil is stirring and it's up to a group of friends to stop it and bring the four houses back into one.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is my first story so while constructive critics are appreciated, no flames please. This is the first in a series I am working on. This fanfic will be a ROTBTD but there will be other characters who appear from other movies._

 _I don't own any of the characters._

"Bye mom! Bye dad!" Hiccup calls between people as he hurries to the train. Hopping aboard, he continues to holler even as the train pulls out of platform 9 ¾, waving at the large red headed man and a slim woman with reddish brown hair. Eventually he starts to look for a place to sit, preferably an empty car so that he could talk to Toothless without people thinking he was crazy but he had little hope of that.

As he walks through the cars, he slowly resigns himself to the fact that being called crazy is inevitable. He finally settles in a car with three other people around his age. He slides into the seat closest to the door, brushing a few strands of what looked like hair before sitting down. Two of the three people glancing up at him as he enters.

The first girl had flaming curly red hair that billowed around her head. She huffed a piece out of her face as she shifted, seeming uncomfortable in the pale blue and lace dress sundress she wore. The thin white sweater completed the the ridiculous outfit.

Next to her sat a thin boy with short dark brown hair that matched his deep brown eyes. A long brown cloak covered a dark brown top and pants. He had a small smile on his face, lighting up his eyes.

Finally the girl right next to Hiccup looked like she had come right out of a fairytale. Her hair was golden blonde and unnaturally long. It was everywhere, hanging from the racks, lying on the floor and even in the laps of the other two passengers, who glanced down at it occasionally. Her dress was pink and purple and her shoes lay on the floor, forgotten as she curled up on the seat with her face pressed against the window.

"Uhhh, hi." Hiccup said, slowly waving his hand at the two looking at him. The blonde glanced at him for a second before once more watching the world pass by in wonder.

"Hi. My name is Jack. What's your name?" the brown haired boy says, a big grin on his face.

"Hiccup. What about you?" He answered, directing his question to the flaming haired girl. Jack snorted quietly at the sound of his name, wondering what he had done to deserve what he assumed was a nickname.

"That can't be your real name. Come on, what is it?" Jack asked, leaning forward. Hiccup rubbed a hand on the back of his head, messing up his already messy hair.

"Nope, that's my name. Hiccup Horrendous the Third." Jack's jaw dropped and even the girl with red hair stopped looking at Jack in annoyance at his interruption to stare at Hiccup, trying to see if he was lying.

"There are three of you?" the girl asked, obviously not believing him.

"I live on an island where vikings settled and we kept up with tradition. Weird names are supposed to keep away ghosts. Obviously not true but…" Hiccup trailed off with a shrug of his shoulders. Jack leaned back, satisfied with the answered. The girl in blue decided to answer the previous question.

"Me name is Merida. Merida Dunbroch. Do any of ye know when we can change into the uniforms?" She responded with a question of her own. Her heavy accent had Hiccup geographically placing her.

"You could probably change now if you really wanted to." He answered.

"If you don't like what you're wearing, why put it on in the first place?" Jack quickly interrupted before Hiccup could give her directions to the bathrooms he had seen earlier on. He had also noticed the awkward fidgeting as she tugged and pulled at her dress.

"If ye must know, me mom forced me to wear this dress. According to her " a lady must always look her best". I'd rather be practicing me flying." Merida explains curtly, giving her mother a ridiculously prissy voice. Before either of the boys could respond, she grabbed the uniform and quickly left to change.

"So, what house do you think you'll be in? I'm don't really care, I still can't believe magic is real." Jack exclaimed.

"Uhh, not sure. I know what house my dad wants me to be in though." Hiccup respond sadly.

The door slammed open again, revealing Merida wearing the grey Hogwarts uniform. She strode in and plopped down next to Jack. Everyone was quiet for a bit before the girl at the window squealed, causing the other three 11 year olds to wince.

"Look Pascal, there's a butterfly! Look at the beautiful colors." The blonde said, talking to her shoulder. She raced to reach the small paint splattered case above the seats, almost hitting Hiccup along the way. She pulled out a thick pad of paper and a pack of colored pencils. She flipped through the book, passing pages covered in color. She stopped on a page with a design in the corner and quickly started drawing the purple butterfly that rested next to the window.

"Umm hello. My name is Hiccup. And you are….?" Hiccup asked tentatively. A small green creature poked its head out between strands of hair. It brought a foot up to its mouth, almost like it was telling Hiccup to be quiet. Hiccup sent a look down to his black friend, his head peaking out just enough for the boy to see, who tilted his head in equal confusion.

"It's okay Pascal, I have the outline done so I can color it later. My name is Rapunzel. Rapunzel Corona." the girl said, turning her eyes to the green creature before responding to Hiccup.

A knock on the door stopped the other two from introducing themselves. Hiccup opened the door to reveal a tall ginger.

"Just to remind all first years, you should get changed into your school uniforms soon." The girl said, giving a grin before before closing the door, leaving the four to stare at where the girl had been two seconds earlier. They glanced at each other, shrugged and parted ways to change with the exception of Merida. A few minutes later they were once more seated in the car, Rapunzel having the most difficulty getting back as people kept stepping on her hair.

"You know, you really should get that cut." Jack suggested. Rapunzel turned away from the window she had settled next too and stared at him shocked.

"I can't. If I cut it, it won't heal anymore!" She cried out. Everyone froze for a second before she gasped loudly. They all would have laughed at how theatrical it was if it weren't for what she had said.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I swear I misheard you" the fire haired girl said.

"Welllllll…" Rapunzel started, apparently debating whether she should tell these strangers. Her decision was made for her when pain filled her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup grabbed his head, trying to stifle the pain he suddenly felt. The other two would have questioned the small black creature that crawled out from within his black cloak had they not been experiencing the same thing. For a moment nothing happened, the four tweens bowing their heads in pain. Then, finally, the pain slowly faded away allowing the group to raise their heads. They looked at each other in shock, unsure what had happened.

The silence was broken by Rapunzel with another loud gasp, who stared at her hands. Glancing over her shoulder, Hiccup saw the glowing yellow symbol on the palm of her right hand. A line ran along the bottom of her palm with two more leading up from the first line. All of the lines were slightly curved.

He quickly looked at his own hands, revealing what looked like a sideways five, and arrow head tracing the top, all in pure blue. Looking over at the remaining two occupants of their car, two more symbols appeared. Jack had two glowing green lines, one straight while the other curved away from the first, while Merida's was a bright red curved lightning bolt.

The train slowed to a stop, startling the four out of their awe. They rush to grab their belongings and hurry off the train. Following the voice calling the first years, they all board a boat and join their new classmates in their trip to the beautiful castle.

Once they reach a set of giant doors, the group stops and the four get their first look at one of their new teachers. She had short colorful hair, hints of pink and blue showing through the bright turquoise. Her bright robe matched her hair and Jack swore it shimmered as she spun to face the young group.

"Hello! Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Toothia Fae. I just need to tell you what will happen, then we will enter the great hall and you will all be sorted into your houses. When your name is called, just come up and the sorting hat will be placed on your head. The hat will announce which house you will belong to during your 7 years in hogwarts." The cheery professor explained, a giant smile on her face. She quickly turned and threw open the doors. The rest of the first years followed behind as she led the way between the long tables. Finally they reached the raised dais, where a wooden stool and an old hat sat. The room was impossibly quiet given the number of students. The reason became apparent when a seam opened up like a mouth and the hat started to sing.

 _Hello hello_

 _Welcome once more_

 _Time to start a new year_

 _And open a new door_

 _So i'll sort you out_

 _And place you soon_

 _To divided houses_

 _From which, love will bloom_

 _Though be careful, beware_

 _Be cautious, take care_

 _For the evil now gone_

 _Is not the only one there_

 _Four keys_

 _Four locks_

 _Four elements_

 _One box_

 _Bravery and intelligence_

 _Loyalty and cunning_

 _Each will be needed_

 _Don't you dare think i'm bluffing_

 _These houses have last_

 _for a very long time_

 _And though you have your heads_

 _It's time for the guardians to shine_

 _Two wizards_

 _two witches_

 _Four elements_

 _Four houses_

 _Now I will let you go_

 _And start the sorting_

 _But remember all, and don't forget_

 _Voldemort's not the only evil existing_

Once again there was silence, but now it was deafening. Everyone still remembered the terrible tragedies that came with He Who Shall Not Be Named, as well as the heroics of Harry Potter. Though it had been well over 40 years since the event, no one was likely to forget what had happened, with the exception of Jack, a muggle born who seemed confused at the mention of a wizarding event. The fact that the sorting hat would mention that there was more evil like Voldemort was not a good sign. Then the muttering started, everyone trying to figure out what might be coming, as well as who the four guardians were.

"Silence!" a booming voice called out, quickly eliminating the conversations. Hiccup glanced at the other three next to him and as one they turned to face the dais, revealing a chubby man in a bright red robe. He had rosy cheeks and a large white beard.

"The professors will discuss this later. At the moment, the sorting must be done." the man said, turning to Toothia. She nodded and began calling out names. It wasn't long before Merida was called up.

"Hmm, I see. I am not needed here. You have already been placed in a house. I wonder which house Gryffindor will join. Well, no matter. I wish you luck, guardian of GRYFFINDOR." the last words were said out loud by the sorting hat. As he called out the house, Merida felt her palm getting warm. Looking down at her hand revealed the same red glow as earlier slowly fading from view.

One by one the first years sat on the wooden stool, and were sorted into their houses by the talking hat. Sometimes it took a few moments for the hat to decide where the student should go, others took only second. The only constants were the four students with the glowing symbols. All received the same message from the legend that was placed on their head. Hiccups blue glow placed him with the intelligent Ravenclaws, the pure emerald of Slytherin calling to Jack and the honey yellow connecting Rapunzel to the badgers. Finally all the students were sorted and settled into their seats and looked towards the red man once more.

"Welcome students, both old and new. It's time to start learning once more. Quick introductions for all the bright new students, though the teachers will introduce themselves in full later on. I am the headmaster, Professor Clause. Head of Gryffindor is Professor Easter, he teaches herbology." The headmaster says, nodding to the grey cloaked man next to him. He was fairly tall standing next to the large professor, with long light grey hair.

"Next is the head of Hufflepuff, Professor Towers, she covers divination in later years." A young looking women with large curly black hair and pure blue eyes. She gave a strange laugh when she was introduced, causing Rapunzel to lock eyes with Merida, who was just across from her at the next table, and mouthing 'save me'. Merida laughed, hiding it behind her hand.

"Sandy, sorry Professor Dreems, in the head of Ravenclaw."Professor Easter nudged the small man next to him, waking him up. The short man was wearing a bright yellow robe that matched his spiky pale yellow hair perfectly. After a few moments, he gave a small, cheerful wave.

"Finally Gothi over there is the head of Slytherin. Ahh, don't hit me women. Fine, Professor Terr" The women was even shorter than Professor Dreems, wearing a dark brown and gray robe and carrying a tall staff, which she used to hit the Head master. Evidently this was a natural occurrence as most of the room laughed at the headmaster's reaction. She smiled at the correction, gave a small nod to the room and sat down once more.

"The others you will learn in time but now it is time to eat." With a flourish of his arms, the tables were soon covered in food, ranging from hearty stews to strawberry pastries and everything in between. Everyone was quickly grabbing something, filling their stomachs as some of the older students talked about the school to the younger ones.

"So, I heard there was a dragon in the forest at one point." Hiccup began, discreetly glancing down.

"Yep, during the triwizard tournament. There were actually four there. And two of the students from here had to face them. Harry Potter was one of them. He was able to beat the toughest dragon there was!" A short black haired fourth year said, evidently a fan.

"I think you mean the secret dragon egg that the old groundskeeper had, right? My grandfather is Ron Weasley. He told me about how Harry and Hermione had to get the egg to someone within the grounds so that it could be free. Not a lot of people know about that story though. How did you hear about it?" The same bright red haired girl from the train but in.

"Uhh ya, that one. My great grandmother was actually the one who took the dragon in. Charlie Weasley brought the dragon to the island I live on, since my family has the best knowledge of dragons." Hiccup explained, feeling slightly awkward from the girl leaning over.

"That's so cool! I'm Glow by the way, Glow Weasley. Probably could tell by the hair. I'm a fifth year. There are a bunch of us around here. I think the youngest here is in third year. That would be my youngest brother Glint. And my sister is here too, her name Shimmer. I know weird names right? Who knows what my dad was thinking. Pretty much all my cousins are here too. If you see red hair they are probably related to me. I swear there are too many of us. But what are you going to do. Do you have any siblings?" Glow said, speaking faster than a train. When she finally took a breath, Hiccup quickly turned to the boy next to him, trying to engage in a conversation that went a little slower.

"Soooooo…" Hiccup said, uncertain what to say but knowing his head would end up spinning if Glow kept up the conversation. Thankfully he didn't have to worry about thinking up a topic, as a ghost quickly came and sat down next to him. The large boy squeaked at the sudden coldness and moved over a bit to giver her space.

"Hello there. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Helena Ravenclaw, known to most as the gray lady." She said, glancing quickly at Hiccup's hand before looking around the table. Hiccup slowly moved his hand under the table, hoping no one had seen where her eyes trailed.

"Helena ravenclaw, daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw founder of Ravenclaw house. Extremely intelligent. Loved by the bloody baron. Friends with Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood. Considered quiet and shy. Stole her mother's diadem to become more intelligent." The large boy began quickly reciting facts, as though he were reading it off of a page.

"Yes, although I do regret that. It is not something I like to remember." She said gently, with her eyes downcast. Soon thought the conversation turned lively once more as he asked her a long stream of questions on every subject matter, Hiccup occasionally adding to the conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

Time flew by, Professor Claus standing up all too soon. With another flourish of his arms, the food and dishes disappear. Everyone slowly gets up, each table leaving with the prefects leading their first years out the door and towards their common rooms. Gryffindor was the first to leave, all stumbling to stand up together with the first years taking a few seconds longer to realize what was happening. Ravenclaw followed shortly after, with Hufflepuff leaving within seconds and Slytherin pulling up the rear. Each of the large groups split once they reached the halls, with the other years breaking off into smaller groups.

Hiccup joined the others in Ravenclaw as they followed Glow up to their common room in the tower. The groups stopped at the bottom of a staircase made of light grey stone. Next to the red haired Weasley stood a pale, dark haired boy, the long black cloak drowning his thin figure.

"Alright, so I am one of your prefects. My name is Glow Weasley. Yes, Weasley as in the family that helped Harry Potter. No, I won't introduce you to my grandfather, so don't bother asking." A few wines could be heard after this statement, causing the bright haired girl to roll her eyes. "Next to me is the other Ravenclaw prefect, Tadashi Hamada. If you have questions, just ask one of us. Now, in order to enter our common room, you have to answer a question. If you don't get it right, you will have to wait until someone can. As practice, we'll have one of you answer the first question." Glow explained, barely pausing to take a breath.

With that said, she lead the way up the steps. The long winding staircase made it difficult for all of the first years to see the prefects, explaining why the prefects introduced themselves before they had reached the door. There was just enough room for some of the younger students to be seen while the rest hidden by the curve had to rely on word of mouth to understand what was going on. A gentle voice floated out of the door, easily heard by those farther away despite it's soft tone.

"What is greater than God

More evil than the devil

The poor have it

The rich want it

And if you eat it, you die"

For several moments, not a sound was made. No one wanted to suggest an answer and have it be wrong, especially since knowledge is the key reason they were all here. Finally, Tadashi broke the silence, a slight frown on his face as he pondered the question.

"That's strange. The riddle is harder than normal. Even I am having some trouble figuring it out. Glow, why don't we just answer it?" Tadashi asks. Glow glances at him then looks over the group. She waits a few moments, trying to see if any of them know the answer. When none of them raise their hands, she gives a sigh.

"Fine. Let me think about it for a second. You're right that this is harder than normal. The answer could be…" she starts, before Hiccup cuts in.

"Isn't it nothing?"

"No, no, there has to be an answer." Tadashi crossed his arms as he thought deeply about the riddle. There had to be an answer for the question, though certainly not the obvious.

"Thats right! The answer is literally nothing. Nothing is greater than God and the devil is considered the worst evil that exists. The poor have nothing, the rich can have anything they want so there is nothing they don't want and if you eat nothing you eventually die of starvation." The large boy next to Hiccup cries out. The prefects look towards the door, waiting to see if the answer is correct.

"That is correct. Welcome, little raven." The cool voice says. And with that the door opened and the younger students took their first look at the common room.

The prefects lead the group into the large room, blue chairs scattered around with a few tables next to them. A large sofa with chairs on either side sat in front of the fireplace. Off to the side was an open room with a long table surrounded by chairs, evidently for studying. Large bookshelves were placed along the walls, all filled with books. Next to entrance stood another large bookshelf with a statue of the founder, Rowena Ravenclaw. Each student paused to stare up at the impressive white figure as they passed to investigate farther inside. Hiccup was so caught up in reading the titles on the first bookshelf he saw that he didn't notice Tadashi coming up beside him. His fingers lept off the spins as the older boy spoke, surprised from both the sudden sound and the content of his words.

"Good job on the question there. I had a hard time with it and you got it even before me. Not to mention the kid beside you seemed to get it as soon as you said it. Does it have something to do with your hand?" he said quietly.

Hiccup glanced up at the tall boy, not really sure what to say. He was uncertain as to how he had figured it out, all he knew was that it was the correct answer to the question given. The comment about his hand was what truly threw him off though. The mark hadn't been visible, of that he was sure, and the four of them had agreed to not speak of the incident to anyone.

"What about my hand?" He asked, trying to figure out what Tadashi was talking about as his hand unconsciously clenched around the small mark. After the initial light show, each of their marks had faded to a pale white, like an elegant scar, barely visible unless you were looking closely for it and Hiccup felt certain that Tadashi had not been looking for it.

"I don't think anyone else noticed but it was glowing blue a bit just before you answered the question. You can tell me if something is up you know." This surprised him, having not seen the glow himself. This also sent his thoughts tumbling inside his mind, trying to determine why it had glowed. So far, the only indication it had ever given of existing was the first time he and his friends got them and when the hat was sorting them. Looking down at it now though, he recalled when he answered the question how it had warmed the palm of his hand ever so slightly. While Hiccup felt certain he had solved the riddle himself, it was almost at though the mark had helped him process everything faster.

Hiccup stared, debating what the best course of action would be. The older student might know what was going on but at the same time he was uncertain if he wanted others to know about it other than the three he met on the train.

"Its nothing." Hiccup said. Tadashi nodded slowly then gave a small smile of understanding.

"Alright, I get it. Just tell me if you need any help okay? I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

Hiccup nodded before hurrying up the stairs to the boys room, getting into his pajamas. He could feel that he could trust the boy but at the same time there wasn't much to tell. None of them had any ideas about them, what they were for or even how they got them. Around him, the other first year boys were settling down, excited for classes the next day. Hiccup himself pulled out a leather bound book from his suitcase as his little black friend crawled out from his spot hidden just inside the long black cloak hanging on the back of the chair next to his bed.

"Hey, buddy, sorry I couldn't really talk to you today." He whispered, glancing over at his neighbor, who only shifted slightly in his sleep. It was the same boy he had spoken to at dinner, his back facing Hiccup. He sighed as the blonde boy settled down once more, not wanting his hopefully first friend in Ravenclaw to think he was crazy for talking to himself, Toothless' dark scales helping him to blend into the dark.

He opened his small notebook and opened to his previous page, his quill scratching quietly on the paper as he added a few more lines to his design. Toothless crouched on his shoulder, looking down at the drawing of himself with notes filling the margins. Hiccup had never been a strong boy like the rest of those on the island but his mind was the most powerful. It was that mind that helped the community with their dragons.

For the longest time dragons were feared creatures, hunted and kept in cages. It wasn't until Hiccup's mother, Valka, who showed that the dragons were just as kind and caring as people. This lead to dragon training instead of hunting, which never truly took off until HIccup and Toothless. By the time Hiccup was 8, everyone was still hesitant around the fire breathing beasts and would send weapons flying if one got too close. However, Hiccup found and injured Night Fury, one of the deadliest dragons to exist, and helped give him a new tail fin to replace one lost in battle. Thus the two became best of friends and showed the village another way to live.

Now, Hiccup was busy trying to design a new tail fin that his winged friend could use on his own. Scratching a few more notes down only to cross them out he finally sighed and but them on his desk, crawling under the thick blankets and quickly fell asleep


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Hiccup rose and dressed with the other first years, all of them marching down to the great hall in a sea of black. Once seated, he immediately looked around as he absently grabbed some fruit, hoping to see any of the three friends he had made on the train. He was about to give up when he saw a bright spot of red moving to sit with the other gryffindor. He quickly waved as Merida glanced in his direction, receiving a smile in return. The next one he spotted was Rapunzel, people falling behind her as they tripped over her long blond hair. Jack was harder to spot with his plain brown hair but eventually Hiccup saw him as well and waved. He saw Merida wave as well only to be forcefully turned away by an older student. Uncertain what had happened, Hiccup turned back to his food and tuned in just as professor Dreems was handing out class schedules.

Hiccup read over it and joined the first years on their way to the first class, charms. He followed the rest of the group as they made their way through the large castle, twisting and turning, only pausing to let a staircase move to the correct spot. He was careful to make note of the route they took, each classroom they passed, each passageway, knowing that without a map the entire place was like a maze. Or at least without a good memory. Finally the group ended their short trek in front of a plain wooden door, the small slivers that stuck out telling it's age.

With the basic introduction done, Hiccup could already tell Professor Joy was a little different from how he had thought a teacher would act. She was exactly like her name, joyful, with pure blue hair that seemed to sparkle and a bright yellow robe. She eagerly went over the basic levitation charm, with only a few students successfully getting their feathers into the air. Even when someone missed their feather and tipped over their pot of ink, her huge smile never left her face. Hiccup soon had his feather floating gently into the air, easily sending it through a series of cartwheels and figure eights as though he held it in his hand.

"Good job, Hiccup. Maybe you can give some people a hint. Now, I want everyone else to practice this spell as homework tonight. Let's get those feather to go up up up." the teacher said, true to her name as the students slowly filed out, a few glaring at Hiccup as they left.

Entering the greenhouse for herbology class, Hiccup was pleased to see Jack there as well, standing off to the side of a group of slytherins just outside. He started to head over the meet him when a thick hand pulled him back. He turned to see the same boy from the first day looking at him nervously.

"You shouldn't go over there. Slytherin house, known for being cunning, ambitious and resourceful. Colors: green and silver. Founder: Salazar Slytherin. Believes in pure blood hierarchy. 98% of Slytherin graduates are extremely bad people. Most famous graduates; Severus Snape, He Who Must Not Be Named, Lucius Malfoy, Belatrix Lastrange." the boy says, spouting facts so quickly, that Hiccup could barely see his small mouth move.

"I'll be fine. My friend is in that house and I know he isn't evil or anything. Besides, only 98% are bad. That means 2% are good. Just watch." Hiccup said before heading over. The blonde boy still reached out to try and stop him but he was determined. Jack's eye light up as Hiccup got closer.

"Hey Hiccup, how are you? It's kind of sad that we all got sorted into different houses huh? I wish I was in a different house. I tried talking to some people in my house but all they wanted to know was who my parents are and if they are both magic." Jack glances over to the group and Hiccup saw some of them looking over from the corner of their eyes.

"Its cool. Do you want to meet someone from my house?" Jack perked up at this, nodding his head. Hiccup smiled and went to get the same boy from earlier.

"Do you want to meet my friend? I swear he's nice and he doesn't really like his house right now." Hiccup asked, receiving a nervous nod before they both went back to Jack.

"Hey Jack this is…" Hiccup started before turning to the boy, realizing that her never asked for his name.

"I'm Fishlegs." the boy said quietly.

"Cool. Hey Hiccup, looks like you aren't the only one with a weird name huh? I'm Jack." he reached out a hand, giving Fishlegs a single shake while grinning. By this point, Professor Easter had opened the doors, ushering the students in. Unlike Professor Joy, he was serious and straightforward. His introduction was cut short when one boy from Ravenclaw decided to practice their levitation spell. Fortunately for him, it worked perfectly on the small empty pot he was practicing with. Unfortunately, he couldn't control the direction too well and it fell right on top of the professor's head, leading to the classes first lecture on conduct.

The three boys, having become closer during the single class, walked together back to the great hall for lunch. They split up upon entering, the two boys from Ravenclaw moving to sit next to each other while their friend walked over to his own house, sitting on his own on the end of the long table.

Once lunch was over, Hiccup and Fishlegs left to their first potions class while Jack headed off to his own charms class. Entering the dungeon like classroom, Hiccup immediately notice the long blond hair that trailed along the ground. The owner of said hair had a small blush on her face as students stepped over it in order to get to an open seat. Next to her sat a boy with dirty blond hair. Once again, Hiccup lead the two over and sat opposite the two Hufflepuffs.

"Hey Rapunzel." He said, taking the open seat across from the girl. He winced as another student almost tripped over the long hair. "Are you sure you can't just cut your hair? It would probably be a lot easier."

Rapunzel hesitated before answering, glancing at the other two boys seated at their table.

"I told you on the train, I can't." Hiccup looked at her, silently begging her to tell him why with a Ravenclaw curiosity. She bit her bottom lip, again glancing at the two blondes. Eventually she sighed, opening her mouth to answer when Professor Dreems entered the classroom.

"I'll tell you along with the others later." she whispered quickly before turning her full attention to the front where the professor was writing instruction on the board. Soon Hiccup was also focused on the lesson as the professor went over the different kinds of vials that would be used throughout the school year. Still, in the back of his mind he wondered what exactly Rapunzel was going to say.

Hiccup ran to his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, eager to finish quickly and meet up with his friends to learn Rapunzels secret. He soon slowed down when he realized Fishlegs was having trouble keeping up, the large boy evidently not into sports. Together they entered the classroom and settled into their seats, waiting for Professor Black to begin. He waited a few seconds for the eager chatter of the students to quiet down before beginning the lesson.

"Alright students. Since today is the first day of class I'll start by testing your abilities. Everyone should know the _Lumos_ spell. Perform the who can't will write a paper on the exact pronunciation of the spell, history of the spell, and use of the spell, including at least three scenarios in which you would use said spell. Begin." The students all stared at the professor, uncertain if they had heard correctly. After a few seconds they realized he was serious and quickly pulled out their wands to practice the spell.

" _Lumos_ " the word came quick to Hiccup's lips, trying to light the tip of his wand. Two more tries and he succeeded, almost too well. The wand light up, filling the room with a white glow that caused some students to turn away due to the brightness before it settled to a gently glow.

"I guess at least one person won't need to do the homework. Continue." Professor Black said, giving Hiccup a cursory glance.

The rest of the class spent their time trying to light the tips of their own wands, with Hiccup helping those who struggled. Soon enough the class ended with just over half of the students succeeding, most of them thanks to small tweaks suggested by Hiccup though they would deny it when asked. With a bit of time left before dinner, Hiccup headed to the library to meet up with his friends from the other houses. As agreed earlier, they joined together in a small corner by the back. There they could talk without fear of other listening in, so long as they were quiet.

"Sooooo..." Rapunzel began, still uncertain at the prospect of telling the group her secret. They were all silent for a few moments as she seemed to have in internal debate over whether she should or shouldn't tell.

"Oh for the love of… just tell us why you can't cut your hair. Stop with the hee hawing and spit it out."

"Merida's right. Just tell us. We're friends right? We aren't going to leave you just because of your hair."

"Ya so come on. Besides, you're stuck with us until we can figure out these mark thingies." Jack leaned forward from his seat across from the blonde girl. She took a deep breath, having made a decision.

"Okay. the thing about my hair is… well… it can heal!" Rapunzel said the last part quickly when she saw Merida about to interrupt about the hee hawing as she called it. The entire group looked at her in shock, not at all expecting this to be the answer for her long tresses.

"When you say heal ya mean…" Merida trailed off.

"I mean I sing a song and my hair glows and it heals stuff like cuts and bruises and i've had since forever and my parents didn't want to cut it for me since they think it is a gift and if I cut it, it doesn't glow anymore and they wanted me to choose if I wanted to keep it or not and I liked it and I liked helping people and healing people and please don't tell anyone." Rapunzel finished, out of breath from all that she had said. Hiccup's and Merida's jaws dropped from the revelation, while Jack looked at his friend with glee.

"That is so cool. I didn't know that could happen. Do other wizards have magic hair or a magic finger or something?" The nervousness that was on her face disappeared with this question, a small giggle forcing it's way out of her mouth. Even in a world of magic, it wasn't normal but that was what made Jack so fun. He was still learning about this world and gave the rest of them some perspective. His comment soon broke the others out of their shock, filling their little corner with laughter.

"No, no. No one else has anything like this, at least not that I know of. My parents only found out when my mom sang a lullaby and my hair glowed. Turns out that a rare herb my mom took when she was sick somehow gave me this hair." Rapunzel explained. Merida smiled while Hiccup had a puzzled frown on his face. While the girls talked more about what had happened and what she could do, Jack noticed the focused look on Hiccup's face.

"What's up?" He asked, putting his arm around Hiccup's shoulders.

"I'm just wondering how it affected Rapunzel. The herbs that I know of couldn't do something like this."

"Who knows? But it's not like this is a huge deal or anything."

"Ya, I guess you're right."

"Not you guess. I am right." Jack gave another one of his signature smiles before being drawn back into the conversation. Soon the group was laughing and talking, though very quietly as they were in the library.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: So this chapter is a lot shorter than the others but I felt this was a good break._

Time passed quickly, the four friends meeting in the library when possible and more often than not, sitting near each other in any classes they shared. As neither Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, nor Slytherin and Hufflepuff shared classes, meeting outside of class was the only way the entire group could enjoy their time together.

Most of them had made friends in their houses as well, with the exception of Jack who shared none of the long pure blood lineage the other Slytherins boasted. Fishlegs joined the motley crew on occasion, as well as Astrid Hofferson from Gryffindor and Kristoff Bijorgman from Hufflepuff.

Even some of the prefects would join the group, Tadashi introducing them to the DA club created by Harry Potter in his fifth year. The group had continued as an extracurricular, helping students practice spells from class and getting tips from the older students. It was there the four friends could often be found, meeting now in an empty classroom set aside for those who need to practice.

Besides DA, the library was the only other place the four could actually be together. Being of different houses made it hard for them to find places to hang out all together, each being shunned by someone from their house for being friends with other houses. Despite Slytherin being the only house that was truly hated, inter house friendship was still rejected for reasons none of the four could find. Whenever they ask, the only answer given was that 'that was the way it is.' Even in DA, most of the other students would refuse to practice with the four. Though it wasn't a huge deal, being an even number had it's advantages, it still hurt the group to be silently rejected.

Jack had the hardest time, taking to avoiding even DA if his friends had homework he had finished. Despite him being the least Slytherin to have ever joined the house, the name itself seemed to make everyone think he was an evil pure breed no matter what he tried to say. It was only classes that made DA worth it, surprisingly. He wanted to learn everything there was in this brand new world around him and was determined to prove to everyone that despite his placement, he was just as smart as Ravenclaw, loyal as the badgers and courageous as the gold lions. To prove his best quality is not his red blood.

Then came the lesson Jack had been waiting for since he first saw it.

"Alright, everyone stand on the right side of your brooms. We're going to start really easy. To get your broom in to your hand, just say _up!"_ Professor Toothia called the last word out and the broom she was standing beside leap up into her hand.

Hiccup watched from where he stood next to his own broom. On his left stood a nervous Fishlegs, while Jack stood on his right. As always, Jack joined the two boys from Ravenclaw rather than stand on the same side as the other Slytherins. He ignored the sneers and whispers of the young students opposite him. Soon the field where their class was held was filled with cries of the students trying to lift their brooms.

"Do you think she'll teach us any cool tricks?" Jack said, his broom already in his hand. One word and it had immediately rose to meet his hand, earning him praise from the instructor usually reserved for the blue ravens.

Hiccup had his broom in hand as well, trying to help Fishlegs who was having some trouble. He turned away from the boy for a moment to answer the question.

"Probably not. Didn't she say we would start easy?"

"Aww man, here I was hoping we would get up into the air."

"Wouldn't that be kind of scary?" Fishlegs asked, now standing with his own broom in hand thanks to the suggestions from Hiccup.

"No way. Flying through the air with nothing but the elements surrounding you. I've always wanted to go hang gliding but this looks like it will be even better." Jack replied excitedly.

"Wait, Jack. repeat what you just said." Hiccup said hurriedly, something clicking in his mind.

"Ummm, I've always wanted to…" He started.

"No no, before that. About the elements." Hiccup interrupted.

"Flying through the air with nothing but the elements surrounding you? What about it?" Jack replied in confusion, not understanding what Hiccup seemed to have figured out.

"I have to double check something I'll tell you guys later." Hiccup said, rushing off as soon as the class was dismissed. Jack looked towards Fishlegs, who shrugged. None of the group saw Hiccup much outside of class as he was often in the library, pouring over books. None of them had any idea what he was reading about.


	6. Chapter 6

Soon, several weeks had passed, with the marks never forgotten thanks to constant reminders. Each had experienced some type of event, always causing their marks to glow softly. Hiccup had to use his left hand whenever he answered anything in class as anytime he knew the answer, which was almost always, the glowing light appeared. Jack had made good friends with Peeves, the prankster ghost, and emerald green often decorated his hand when he was able to solve a friend's problem in ways none had thought of, sometimes using the strangest methods. Merida, the hot head she was, often got into arguments with those in her house, more often than not due to her friendship with Jack. Her glow was the most prominent when she was bravely defending her friendship against the older students, resulting in Astrid learning the secret fairly quickly. Rapunzel's kindness lead to an almost constant glow whenever she helped those in need, hidden only due to her long hair she often kept in front of her hand. This was one of the few benefits to the insanely long golden tresses, though it became tiring with how often she used the levitation spell the help her move her blonde hair. Astrid soon got some of the Hufflepuff girls to help braid her hair, resulting in one thick braid that just barely brushed the floor.

Not all was bad though, as the group found that their spell proficiency was better than their peers. They were able to perform the spells given in class correctly almost always the first time, with areas of specialty quickly becoming apparent. Hiccup was the best in his charms class, his levitation spell able to move most objects at his whim, sending them flying around the room in intricate dance. Merida ended up being forbidden from practicing the knockback jinx with other first years as she would send them flying and her red sparks were almost guaranteed to be seen across the school. Rapunzel was top of Herbology, the one most people came to for help in naming plants and their abilities. Both Merida and Jack quickly got the hang of flying, with Hiccup being the only one to outfly the two. Some of the prefects in DA had to help all of them practice due to the amount of power they couldn't quite control. And while they were getting help from both Ravenclaw prefects, and one of the Hufflepuff prefects, no questions were asked.

To top things off, the four were able to perform strange spells without saying anything. Merida found that she could create fireballs, accidentally setting a tapestry on fire. Luckily, everyone thought the candlestick was just too close to the tapestry. Hiccup created a huge gust of wind during one of the flying lessons he had, knocking over most of the other students. Jack had gotten the hang of his element fairly quickly, causing the water someone had spilt in front of him to trip him to slid out of the way. He enjoyed the discovery of controlling water by pranking other students with Peeves. Rapunzels was the most useful, her connection to earth being part of the reason she was so good in class.

"So Hiccup, I had class with hot head earlier. We didn't do much in class but she still managed to blow up something when we had a lesson on glassware. It was hilarious!" Jack laughed at the memory, Hiccup giving a smile before turning to Fishlegs, as the three boys walked down to the great hall for lunch. A fireball seemed to rush down the corridor, the body bumping in to Hiccup.

"Whoa, ah almost fell on ye Hiccup. Watch where you're walking." Merida said with a scowl, her lips tugging up into a smile to show she was joking.

"Hey Merida, how was class?" Hiccup asked, with a grin on his face telling her he already knew exactly what had happened..

Another first year ran up to her as she was opening her mouth, cutting her off before she could start.

"Merida, we aren't supposed to talk to Slytherin, remember? Ashley told us, Slytherin's aren't to be trusted. Why are you talking to these guys?" The girl said, glancing over at the three boys before resting on Jack.

"Umm, we're both in Ravenclaw. And Jack is our friend. Since when does being friends before being sorted mean we can't talk after being sorted?" Hiccup intervened, pulling Merida's arm from the girl. She stared in shock, turning quickly and hurrying towards the same thin girl from that morning as she was walking by. A few word were exchanged, the tall girl raising her head to glare at the group and marching over.

"Hey, let her go. Merida, get to the great hall. I want to talk to you after lunch. You know all Slytherins are evil." The girl, evidently Ashley, continued to glare at Jack, her eyes burning.

"Leave me alone. I have friends and I don't care that one of them is in Slytherin." Merida began, her hand beginning to glow softly. "I met him before we were sorted so are you saying we shouldn't talk to people until after we get sorted? Just so that we don't make friends with someone who are sorted into Slytherin? Not how I work princess. And really, you don't know your history very well do you? What about Professor Slughorn, who helped harry potter in his 6th year and in the final battle? What about Professor Snape, who also helped Harry Potter? What about his own son, Albus? Are you saying that Harry potter's son is evil? Then what about Alec Potter, Albus's son, who should I remind you was Gryffindor. He's the son of a Slytherin, does that make him evil too? Well I for one don't believe all Slytherins are evil. Jack is my friend, no matter what house he's in. And that will never change." Her voice had risen considerably, attracting the attention of several students passing by. By the time she had finished her speech, a large crowd encircled the two girls while the boys hung back just inside of the makeshift arena.

Ashley began to glance around, her eyes narrowing at Merida. Hiccup nervously looked back and forth between the two girls. Jack nudged him, nodding down to Merida's hand, which had begun to glow in earnest. Astrid burst through the crowd that had gathered around them, followed soon by Rapunzel, and quickly grabbed Merida's hand, covering the glow.

"Merida, no. We have to go now." She said firmly, lightly tugging on her hand. Just as Merida began to give in, one of the professors, wearing a long pure black robe that seemed to blend into the shadows around the hall.

"Is there a problem here?" Professor Pitch said, looking around the circle of bodies.

"No, _Professor."_ Ashley said venomously, her hatred of the house extending all the way to former students.

He turned to face the six students gathered next to Ashley, narrowing his eyes slightly as Merida stared him in the eyes.

"It seems some of the first years need to learn what not to do in the halls. Detention for the six of you. You will report to Professor Dreems for your task at 6 o'clock tonight." He said before walking away.

"We will talk about this later Merida." Ashley said, sending one last glare at the others in the group as she stalked off in the other direction. Slowly the corridor emptied once again as the spectator left for lunch.


	7. Chapter 7

"What was that all about?" Rapunzel asked, letting go of the red heads hand though there was still a small glow.

"That was Ashley. She's one of the Gryffindor prefects and she despises Slytherins. She actually forbade any gryffindor from having any contact with them, and that we shouldn't talk to the other houses if we can help it. Most of the older students ignore her but the first and second years are terrified of the punishment she threatens to give to anyone who disobeys her. And she always acts sweet and innocent in from of professor Bunnymund so it's not like we can tell him that his perfect student is evil." Merida said, her hands in fists.

"Come on. We need to hurry if we want to eat lunch." Astrid said, though she didn't look excited at the thought of meeting up with the prefect again so soon. Jack noticed the uncertain look she wore, as well as the invisible steam coming out of Merida's ears.

"Hey Hiccup. You can do the _Alohomora_ spell right?"

"Ya, why? What are you thinking?" the young boy responded.

"Do you think professor Tooth would mind if we used her classroom?"

"Probably not but won't it be locked?"

"That's why we need the unlocking spell. I know the spell but you are definitely better at it than I am. Just follow me." Jack said, leading the way down to the basement and ending up in front of the kitchen. He opened the doors to reveal a large kitchen with house elves running around, setting food on a long table only for it to disappear. A few words with the closets house elf, who seemed to know Jack, and the group had a pile of sandwiches. They walked over to the empty classroom, unlocked by Hiccup, and ate together.

Later that night, the group meet up with Professor Dreems. He appeared annoyed that he had to deal with detention he didn't give out but nonetheless he gave them jobs to do. He set them to work cleaning the ink spills from Peeves latest prank. They began their work, rubbing hard on the blackened walls.

"Hey Hiccup, check this out." Jack called, pouring the water all over the floor. Hiccup simply rolled his eyes, giving the small dragon on his shoulder a look. Toothless rolled his eyes back as they turned to watch the spectacle in front of them.

With a flourish of his water, Jack sent the soapy water running along the floor and up the walls, making quick work of their detention. Although none outside the group knew, the four students had found unique spells, ones they could each do without saying it out loud. Jack was able to manipulate water, Hiccup could creates rushes of air. Merida had had a few incidents with the fire balls she could pull out of thin air and Rapunzel's connection to earth ran deeper than the rest of the school knew. All of their powers were quickly followed by a soft glow.

"Wait Jack, stop." Rapunzel said. Jack, not understanding what the problem was, quickly stopped. Rapunzel walked towards one wall, the others finally noticing the thin line of black ink that wasn't moving with the water. Jack moved the water away, his green glow fading.

The group looked at the strange spot, Rapunzel tracing her hand along the line. Soon her hand began to glow bright, a stream of gold running along the pattern raised on the wall. This was when Hiccup noticed the school crest in the middle of the panel, Hufflepuff lighting up once the glow reached it. Jack glanced between the crest and Rapunzel, her hand still resting on the dark wood, and reached his own hand to touch the wall next to her. The bright emerald wove its way along a separate line, reaching his own house crest and producing a glow. Merida and Hiccup gave each other a nod and placed their own hands on the wall, Pure blue and fire red weaving past each other before resting within the lion and the eagle. A light click opened a panel and revealed a door handle, each looking nervously at the others before Rapunzel reached down and twisted the handle, pushing in slowly.

The room was dark when the group first glanced in. Everyone looked to Merida who nodded back and sent a fireball into the room with a flick of her wand, controlling its flight to see what was inside. It touched several large dark basins, lighting fires as it soared. Soon the group could see the entire room, Merida sending the fireball into the fire place they saw off to the side.

Walking in, the most notable feature was a large flag with the hogwarts crest hanging on the far wall. Several comfy sofas and chairs surrounded the room in groups, with two fireplaces on either wall. At the back in a raised dais sat a long wooden table, two tall chairs at the ends while long benches rested along the length. Two plain wooden door sat on the right of the dais, investigation revealing them to lead to bathrooms, while a heavy looking black iron door could be seen to the left. The group looked around while Fishlegs remained at the door, too nervous to enter.

"We shouldn't be in there. We don't know what that room is for, let's go before a teacher comes and gives us detention for being where we shouldn't." He pleaded to deaf ears, continually glancing between the room and the hall before sighing and entering.

The room had obviously not been used in a long time, a thick layer of dust covering everything. This was all ignored though in favor of investigating the black door. There was no handle, nothing that could help them determine how to open the door. They all looked at each other for ideas on how to open it when Hiccup stepped forward, a light glow indicating he had an idea.

"Maybe we don't need a handle. If the door opens inward, you wouldn't need a handle since you would only have to push." He said, reaching to do just that. The glow grew brighter, the push he gave the door, opening it with ease given the size.

Everyone entered the room slowly, a bright white glow emitting from a single large gem in the middle of a slone table. Four chairs sat on each side of the square table, each plain grey stone with one of the house crests in the center. A tall bookshelf stood off to the side, filled with books. Another shelf on the wall behind the Hufflepuff chair was overflowing with trinkets and bobbles.

"This is incredible. I wonder what this room is for." Rapunzel said with a smile on her face as she walked over to Hufflepuffs chair, running her hand along the side before sitting down. Almost instantly, the chair glowed yellow, covering the grey with a sheen of gold and drawing intricate designs of flowers and vines winding their way around the chair before dying down, leaving a now gold chair in its place. A single golden flower rested on top. Jack gave a grin and sat down in the Ravenclaw chair, looking behind to see the transformation. They all held their breath, only to let it out a moment later when nothing happened.

"Wait, Jack. Try the Slytherin chair." Hiccup directed, Merida moving to sit in the Gryffindor chair. Swapping places with Hiccup, Jack did as told and a few seconds later the once simple chairs were replaced. Merida's remained as stone, with rivers of fire falling down the sides and licking the arm rests. Jack's became pure crystal, snowflakes decorating the back, while Hiccups became a deep wooden chair with puffs of air dancing all around.

"Hey, you guys. Come look at this. According to this book on the History of Hogwarts, this is the Hogwarts common room. 'Commonly used by students of all houses to mingle, discuss homework questions, and plan school wide events.' Wait, that means all the houses used to get along? But I thought that Slytherin always hated the others because of who they accepted. Didn't Salazar leave just a few years after it was built? There is no mention of any kind of cordial relationship between him and the other houses ever." Fishlegs had taken a large book off of the shelf and began flipping through the pages.

Hiccup looked around the room once more, this time landing on the ancient clock on the far wall. He gasped, rising front the chair and hurrying to the bookshelf, grabbing several tomes. The others stared at his quick figure.

"Look at the time! The professor will come to check how much we've done." He explained. The others burst into action as well, all of them rushing to the door with Hiccup in the rear. Once in the hall, Hiccup flew the books up to the ceiling, hiding them from the teacher just as he came around the corner. Professor Dreems gave a quick glance around before nodding, dismissing them for the night. Before separating to their own houses they looked at each other, silently agreeing to look into the strange common room another day.


	8. Chapter 8

_AN; Sorry for the delay in posting. I hope everyone is having a happy holidays and a very merry Christmas._ The group was unable to check out the room for several months, being too busy with all of the work the professors gave, as well as the extra spells some of the prefects taught the small group in secret, seeing their natural abilities pass the spells from class. Soon christmas had come and gone, with everyone bringing back presents and treats to share. Having all returned early, they decided to trade presents in the Hogwarts common room, certain that no one would bother them, especially since Hiccup said he had news. Hiccup made a swishing movement with his wand and the dust was dispelled from a group of sofas. Merida light the fireplaces and the group settled down. Rapunzel had made them each a painting. Hiccup's had Toothless, who had been introduced to the group a few weeks before the room discovery, tilting his head with his eyes wide. Merida and Jack both received scenery paintings, deep green woods and wide open night sky respectively. Merida brought some christmas cookies made by her brothers nanny while Jack turned the room into a winter wonderland for a few minutes, starting a snowball fight that Merida soon had gotten each of them a notebook, charmed with the help of his friend Goober from Berk so they could send messages to each other in secret. Astrid, Fishlegs and Kristoff, who had become a part of the group before the holidays and told about the secret room, were also there. They passed around their own gifts of new quills, parchment and every flavor beans and chocolate to each of their friends. "Hey listen, I was reading one of the books I grabbed from here and I found something about the marks on our hands." Hiccup began, the laughter dying down. "You mean like what they mean or why we have them? Because that would be some useful information." Jack said, looking down at his hand. "Sort of. Do you remember what the sorting hat said?" "Ya, something about the four houses and how it was time for 'the guardian's', right?"Merida cut in. Rapunzel leaned in to, curious as to what he had found. "That's right. It talked about how 'it's time for the guardian's to shine', or something like that. Also when it said 'two witches, two wizards, four elements, four houses', I think it was talking about us, or at least the 'guardian's'. This part here" Hiccup said, pointing to a page in the book he pulled out. "This part says that the reason there are elements associated with the houses is because the four founders actually had the power to manipulate them. These marks were on their hands, which they then passed down to the best students and trained them personally. No one knew exactly what they were taught or why but each received the same mark on their hands. It also notes here that the four students were taken somewhere in the castle by the founders and when they returned, they would work hard to perfect spells and complete extra work given by the heads. While the students were often top of the class, apparently it relates more to how they connect to the attributes of their houses." "So like, someone from Gryffindor was really brave? That sounds like all gryffindors." Merida said, a little confused. "Not quite. See, there were some who held these traits more than the rest. Not just the trait but the meaning of the trait. An example could be…..her." Hiccup said, showing Merida a picture of a young blond girl with swirling grey eyes. "Her name was Lily Swells and she got her mark when she stood up to a teacher. She knew she was going against a teacher, at the time the professor she went against was Professor Slytherin himself, but she was still brave enough to stick to what was right, even when she took the consequences of her actions." "Wait, then what about Slytherin? Was their trait being stuck up snobs?" Jack asked, half joking but the group could tell he felt uncertain. Slytherins were known for their obsession with ancestry, to the point that most believed their house trait was being a pure blood and power hungry. With Jack as a muggle born, this would be an unusual choice. "Not quite. Actually, the Slytherin house trait is their resourcefulness. Their determination and means they often use to obtain power is what sets them apart." "That makes sense then. Jack, do you remember when some Slytherins knocked my homework into the lake? And I had to hand it in next period? And I couldn't control my fire balls that well yet so you got Hiccup to blow air through my fireball and push the hot air over my parchment to dry it without bringing the fire near it." Merida reminded the boy. He gave her a smile. "So why did we get our marks on the train, before we even got sorted? I thought the whole reason these people got their marks were because of their showen abilities."Rapunzel asked. "I'm not sure yet. I'm going to keep reading though, and try and find out. What I want to know is what exactly they learned. But it was a secret, no one knew but those who learned it. I want to check out the other books in the room, to see if they say anything." Hiccup said, his nose in the book, reading intently. "What about the whole elements part?" Jack asked, having just remembered about Hiccups epiphany in flying class. "Right. About that. I thought I had seen the symbols on our hands before and I was right. They're in the great hall back at my village. Each of the symbols represent an element. I did some research and found out that each of the houses also represent an element as well as an animal and colors. And each of the elements of our houses matches the element we can control." Hiccup explained. "I wonder what exactly connects everything." Rapunzel mused, while Merida and Jack simply shrugged. 


	9. Chapter 9

_AN; Hey guys, sorry for the late post once more. I actually got sick new years eve and I am finally well enough to stop speaking in moans and groans. This chapter is a little shorter than most but I hope you guys like it._

Soon, the group dispersed, returning to their respective dorms. Merida hurried up to her room once she got back, several of the younger Gryffindors giving her looks of disgust at the thought of her being friends with Slytherin. Once in the room, she sat on her bed, pulling out her wand and sending small fireballs swirling through the air. She soon got bored of the simple spell, waving the fire away and lying down on her bed.

"Where were you just now?" Came the demand from the doorway. Merida turned her head to see Ashley, leaning on the doorway with a frown on her face. Not that Merida had seen many other expressions on the brunnette.

"Just with my friends. And before you say anything, two of them aren't even from Slytherin. One is in Ravenclaw and the other is in Hufflepuff." She replied, adding more sass than necessary.

"The one from Slytherin wasn't there at all, right?" She said crossly, stressing the need for confirmation that one of her friends never made it. "You aren't friends with that evil pure blood obsessed freak, right? You know I don't allow friendship with that house."

"Yes he was and yes I am."

"I told you before the break. Either you stop having any contact with him or there will be consequences."

"Oh leave me alone. You may be a prefect but you don't own me. You can't control who I'm friends with anymore than I can tame my own hair. And he is not a blood obsessed freak. He doesn't care about whether my parent have magic or not. _He_ actually looks at who a person is instead." The young scot said, standing up from her bed and walking towards the other girl. The red glow appeared as it often did in these scenarios, this time alerting Ashley to the event. She reached down and grabbed Merida's hand, which stayed tightly fisted so as to not let the mean girl see the apparently legendary mark.

" _Flipendo_ " Merida said quietly, her wand pointed at Ashley in her left hand. A loud bang erupted as the tall girl flew back, banging into the far wall. Several students rushed up the stairs, Astrid leading the way having suspected something would occur when she saw the prefect go up the stairs. However she never expected the redhead to use a spell on the older student.

"Merida, let's get out of here for a bit." She said, tugging on the frozen girl in front of her. They hurried out, the other girls moving over to let them through. A glance back showed half of the eyes stay on the two leaving while the rest turned back to stare at the student slumped against the wall, still conscious but shocked that Merida had fired a spell at her. They quietly passed through the nearly empty common room before leaving the tower.

"Oh dear, what on earth was that loud bang? I could hear it all the way out here. I hope you girls won't be staying out too late, I need my beauty sleep you know." the fat lady said from her portrait.

"No mam, not too late." Astrid said absent mindedly, continuing to drag Merida away from the tower. Voices and hurried feet could be heard coming down the hall behind them. She paused in one hallway, debating which of the other three she should talk to about the situation. Deciding that patience was the most needed quality, she headed to the hufflepuff common room. Quickly knocking on the door, Astrid almost let out a sigh of relief when Honey Lemon opened the door.

"Can we talk to Rapunzel please? It's kind of important." Astrid said, glancing back when she heard a sound, voices soft in the distance. Honey nodded, turning to see Rapunzel already standing behind her.

"I heard. We'll only be a few moments."

"Okay, just don't be too late. You all need a good night's rest."

The group turned down the nearby hallway as Honey closed the door.

"What happened?" Rapunzel said as soon as they were out of earshot. Both girls were a little surprised to hear Rapunzel talking seriously, as she was more of the whimsical one of the group, but explained nonetheless.

"Well, there isn't much we can do. I was able to talk to a gryffindor student during DA and apparently, Ashley has been like this since third year. She hated all slytherins even before she got to this school but she didn't feel this strong about it until after she became a prefect. Then she forced most of the student to stop any kind of interaction between the two houses. But because she isn't actually hurting anyone, at least not that the professors know, they can't do anything about it."

"So what are we supposed to do? Ay even hit her with a spell. I'll get detention for sure." Merida said

"I don't know. I think we should talk to at least one of the professors. They have to know what is going on. The problem will be revealing her true feelings in front of them. From what I have seen, she always acts polite and sweet whenever they are near her, with the obvious exception of professor Black. Though even then she only acts that way when none of the other professors are nearby." Rapunzel said, deep in thought.

"That's great and all but what do we do in the meantime. It's not like we can go back now, Merida used magic against a prefect. It won't go our way. And we can't go back, Ashley will skin us alive. As much as I want proof I don't want any of my friends to get hurt for it." Astrid said urgently

"She's right. Professor Bunnymaud won't believe us and Ashley will just make it worse for us."

"You have to though, at least for tonight. Then tomorrow morning we can go and talk to the professors. We have to try." Rapunzel placed an arm around Merida's shoulders, giving them a small squeeze.

"Okay. I'll make sure to stay with you tonight, just in case." Astrid threw her arms around her friend as well. Slowly, the three headed back to the Hufflepuff common room, leaving Rapunzel at the entrance before heading of themselves.


	10. Chapter 10

_AN; Alright, this chapter is a little short as well but all of the teachers make an appearance here. All of the characters are from Disney or DreamWorks so I don't own any of them. Try and guess who everyone is._

As they walked along the third floor hallway, they could see the glow of a lantern around the corner. Knowing that they would be in trouble if they were caught, not to mention it would give Ashley another excuse to blame Slytherins somehow. Gasping quietly, the two girls looked at each other with wide eyes then dived into an open classroom just off to the side. They slowly closed the door, not all the way so they didn't make any noise. Looking through the small crack, Merida watched as the sliver of hallway became brighter and brighter. She saw the small caretaker slowly amble by, pausing near the room they were hiding in. His bushy eyebrows furrowed as he looked around. The redhead held her breath as he remained still, trying to listen for a sound. After what felt like eternity, he heaved a sigh and continued on his way.

The girls waited for a few more moments as the hallway slowly became darker. Merida slowly opened the door and peered around as the last few gleams of light disappeared down a small hallway, almost invisible with how small it was. Waiting a few more moments in case he came back, the girls watched. Merida crept closer, trying to see where he had vanished when they heard hushed voices echoing off the stone walls. She moved slowly, tiptoeing closer to the door that stood at the end of the row of stone. Astrid remained close by, the two moving as one closer to the faint glow.

Inside the room stood most of the staff. The headmaster stood by the fireplace, one arm resting on the stone mantle. Professor Toothia also stood, never staying still for more than a moment. Professor Terr, Professor Towers and Professor Dreems all sat in tall backed wooden chairs, the former appearing to nod off before startling himself awake. Professor Bunnnymund stood on the other end of the mantle, his back resting on the cool grey while Professor Joy stood next to him, for once without her trademark grin.

There were several teachers Merida didn't recognize, having only seen them at the banquet. There was a blond man wearing a pale blue robe, his hair standing almost straight up from his head. Two more wizards were seated, one with white and brown hair in a light brown robe while the other had incredibly pale skin, straw colored hair and a dark green robe. Finally, a pale wizard in a white robe stood silently off to the side. The caretaker, a weak wizard called Weaslton, was apparently the last to arrive, the headmaster addressing those assembled.

"Thank everyone for meeting. We need to discuss the event predicted by the sorting hat." He began, his black belt visibly expanding as he took a deep breath. Almost everyone appeared downcast, with the exception of two wizards. The white wizard remained blank, a tilt of his head the only indication he heard. Professor Black also reacted differently from his place in the back corner, his robe blending perfectly into the shadows created by the flames. Merida could see his shoulders tense up underneath his robe.

"Have you seen anything, any signs about what may occur." The headmaster directed his questions to the two witches seated nearby. Professor Towers was the first to speak, her shrill voice making Merida and Astrid wince.

"Nothing. Not in the crystal, not in my dreams." her arms flew up in the air dramatically, emphasizing her point. Professor Terr nodded in agreement. While she taught astronomy, planets and stars and their position in the sky, she was also known for her ability to see the future based on the planets alignment. It was rumored that she learned from the centaurs.

"What do ya think it could mean? Who are these guardians?" Professor Bunnymund asked, never moving from his position. Headmaster heaved another sigh, running his thick fingers through his white beard.

"I don't know. I tried asking the previous headmasters but all I got out of them were more riddles. Most didn't know anything but the earlier headmasters looked surprised. Dumbledore was the only one to say anything but even then all he said was that Hogwarts would become one."

"We should try to figure out who the guardians are. There must be some way to tell." Professor Toothia said, Professor Joy nodding vigorously in agreement.

"There isn't much to go on. All we know right now is that there are four of them, one from each house, and that two are witches and two are wizards." The wizard with white and brown hair said.

"Don't forget, they are most likely first years. After all, this is the first year the sorting hat mentioned anything like this." The wizard with ridiculous hair stated excitedly, acting as though this was a puzzle for him to figure out.

"I will try to figure out a way to determine who these guardians are. In the meantime, I want all of you to keep an eye out for who they could be." Headmaster Claus said, looking around the room to each wizard and witch in turn. Merida sensed they were finishing their discus with a small gasp, motioning Astrid to back up from her position. The blond girl scrambled from off the redheads back where she had been leaning. Together they quietly scurried back down the hallway and hid in the same classroom as earlier as a bright glow came from behind them. Through the small crack, Merida watched the professors go in their own directions, wands lit. She held her breath when Professor Black stopped, turning in the general direction the two girls were hiding. He only moved when the wizard in white came ambling out, stopping to speak with the wizard in black.

"You should get some sleep. Sleep is required to function correctly." he said, almost robotically. Professor Black gave one last glance down the dark hallway, then gave a stiff nod and continued on his way. They waited a few more moments in case someone came back before letting out the breath neither knew they were holding.

With that, the girls headed back to their own common room. Merida hesitated to say the password at the entrance to the Gryffindor tower. All eyes were on the two girls as they entered, though no one stopped them. Ashley was off to one side, glaring at them but saying nothing. They hurried up the stairs, falling to sleep quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: this is the shortest chapter I have written so far but I felt this was the right part to break at.

The following morning was silent, none of the younger years would talk to Merida or Astrid. All of them made sure to sit away from both girls, creating a large gap between them and the rest of their house, both physical and metaphorical. Their salvation came when a fourth and sixth year plopped down on the bench across from them. The bright red hair marked one of two as a Weasley but the other was a mystery.

"Hey, I'm Glint Weasley. Saw you guys sitting alone. What happened?" The red haired boy asked, smiling brightly but his eyes showed his concern for the younger students.

"I'm Gogo. Don't ask about the nickname. Some dofus from Hufflepuff gave me the name and it stuck." The girl had short black hair with blue streaks throughout. She gave a nod to the Hufflepuff table where a skinny boy with sandy brown hair was waving madly. Merida laughed at his actions while Astrid simply smiled at the overzealous actions.

"It's nothing." Merida said, sobering up as she answered the question. Astrid sighed, debating whether she should speak for her friend. Making her decision, she told the older students what had happened as well as what had lead up to the events of last night. Both were silent for a few moments before Gogo began to speak.

"That sounds like Ashley all right. Apparently, some former Slytherin did something to her mom and she's hated the entire house since. No one knows what exactly happened but she blames the house for 'influencing' the former student as well as blaming the company for ' hiring a Slytherin, who was placed in the house for obvious violent actions and evil thoughts'. Obviously not true but she refuses to think otherwise." Glint took up the story from that point.

"She wasn't this bad when I first came here. She was in her fourth year. She usually just ignored everyone in the house. Then when she became a prefect, the first thing she said to the first years was that they couldn't even look at a Slytherin or else there would be consequences. A couple of the first years didn't take her seriously. Not sure what happened but they started avoiding anyone from that house like the plague."

"And no one talked to the professor?" Astrid asked.

"Some did at the beginning but she always acts like the perfect student in front of them." Gogo rolled her eyes at this, obviously done with the picture perfect attitude. Soon, the students left for their first class.

Merida and Astrid entered charms class, ready to start. They class was having fun making pineapples dance across their desks. Though the funniest part was when a student missed their pineapple and sent professor Joy into a frenzy dance. By the time the two girls returned to the common room at the end of the night, they were surprised to see that Ashley was not there. Merida paid it no mind, happy to have a quiet night after the late astronomy class and quickly fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I don't own any of these characters except the OC's

 _Ashley followed the professor down the dark hall and into his office. Normally she wouldn't even look in his direction but his proposition would work in her favor. As long as she tells him what she knows about the three people Merida hangs out with, he will make sure none of the slytherins talk to any gryffindor ever again. She didn't know how and quite frankly she didn't care, as long as those spiteful children stayed away from her students, she didn't care._

" _Come in my dear, let's have a little chat. Tell me what you know." Pitch began, settling down behind his desk and staring at her with his yellow eyes. He held out a hand, offering the seat across from him which she pointedly ignored._

" _Well, I've noticed they all run off somewhere. They always go in a group with those other students tagging along sometimes. They go to this hallway on the second floor but they just disappear so I can't follow. And that Hiccup kid is weirdly smart, even for a ravenclaw. I have heard that he answers any question the teachers asks him immediately and perfectly."_

" _Yes I know about him. I tried to trip him up with third year questions and he was still able to answer it. I want to know about the blond girl."_

" _You mean Rapunzel? She's a Hufflepuff, not very smart, not very brave. She's in that house because she didn't fit anywhere else. It's weird though, I swear I saw part of her hair glowing at one point. Only a small part though. Don't know what happened, just saw her talking to another Hufflepuff girl who was crying."_

" _Anything else?" The professor knew better than to ask about the Slytherin boy. Even though he was the head of Slytherin, he still knew very little about Jack._

" _Not really."_

" _Then I suppose we are done here. Let me show out." Pitch said, standing and guiding her to the door with a hand on her back. "It's such a shame. It looks almost like he is deliberately becoming friends with them so that he can take advantage or something."_

 _Ashley glared at him. "I would never let that happen."_

 _Pitch gave a slow smile, carefully removing his hand from her back and taking his wand out from his cloak. A quick flick and a silent spell resulted in black dust gently trailing from the tip, settling on Ashley like a cloud. Her eyes flashed gold for a second, then she marched out the door with a frown etched on her face. Pitch just watched her go, hearing her mumble about getting that traitor. He gave a quiet chuckle as he closed the door._


	13. Chapter 13

_AN: sorry I'm late everyone, I had a bit of a crazy day yesterday so I didn't have time to upload._

The following morning Ashley said nothing, barely acknowledging anyone even when asked a question. She kept a firm glare on the Slytherin table throughout breakfast. This continued for several days, only changing her attitude when a teacher was present, before returning to her murderous looks once they left her line of sight. Merida didn't know if she should be happy to be left alone or scared that the prefect might be planning something.

Rapunzel noticed the change in attitude as well, concerned for her friends. She was often distracted by the direction of the glares, often watching Ashley closely in case she tried to do anything.

"Hey, earth to Rapunzel." Kristoff waved a hand in front of the blonde girl, trying to get her attention. Rapunzel shook herself out of her daze and returned to boy in front of her and the food on her plate.

"Sorry Kristoff, I was a little distracted there." She gave a nervous grin as she glanced once more over at the Gryffindor table. Honey Lemon followed her gaze and spotted the female prefect, drawing a frown on her own face before bouncing back. She had taken a liking to the sweet blonde girl and while she was sure Rapunzel was hiding something, she let it be.

"I know what you need. You need a distraction, something fun. And pink!" the older girl cried out, causing Rapunzel to laugh a bit. While Honey Lemon was much older, she sometimes acted like a young child.

"She's right you know. Plus I'm sure your friends would like to have something else to think about." Kristoff agreed. Honey Lemon clapped her hands with glee and began talking about everything they would need, from food to games they could play. Soon it was agreed that they would meet up next Friday at the room of requirement. Since it was only Tuesday, the group had time to get everything together. Besides the three Hufflepuffs, Hiccup, Merida, Jack, Astrid and Fishlegs would be there along with several of Honey Lemon's friends, each of whom had very strange names. Gogo from Gryffindor, Tadashi and Wasabi from Ravenclaw and a boy named Fred from Hufflepuff would be joining the motley crew. With that decided, the group split for their first class.

The rest of the week flew by and before she knew it Rapunzel was walking down the hallway to the room of requirement, where everyone was going to meet. They agreed to wait in front for everyone to gather, since it would be easier. Once she reached the tapestry, she saw her friends already there. The only one missing from the large group was Fred, a tall skinny wizard Rapunzel had seen around. He was often excited, going off on long tangent and telling stories to anyone who would listen. Apparently his family is incredibly famous, his grandfather having created a spell that would make an invisible wall while his parents made a potion that would help heal those hit by _Obliviate_. He wasn't far behind her, arriving moments after the young witch. Once the group was together, Honey Lemon walked back and forth three times in front of the tapestry, repeating her wish over and over with a small hop in her step. Soon the door came into existence, opening to reveal a large room with several sofas and chairs in a circle with a long wooden table on the far wall. Jack, Hiccup and Tadashi moved to the table to put down the food, the former having convinced the house elves to lend a hand in their impromptu party.

Soon the group was laughing and joking, watching as Jack ate a vomit jellybean in disgust and laughing at his reaction.

"Why do these flavors even exist?" Jack asked, drinking water in an effort to get the taste off his tongue. Tadashi was the only one able to control his laughter enough to respond.

"Because it's funny watching people react when eating them for the first time." He replied with an easy smile. This produced a round of nods. Rapunzel smiled brightly as she looked around the group, first years talking and laughing with the older students, different houses having fun. The blonde prefect next to her looked over as she gave a light giggle.

"What's on your mind?" Honey asked, happy to see the nervous girl from earlier in the week was gone.

"Just thinking how much fun this is. And how all of the houses are hanging out together."

"True, I don't know when, if ever, in history all of the houses have gotten along." The large dark skinned wizard from Ravenclaw said from her other side. When she had first been introduced to Wasabi, she thought he would have been from Gryffindor. His thick shoulders suggested someone who had immense physical strength but it was his strength of mind that shocked her. In fact, he was more likely to be found in the library than out on the quidditch field.

Looking around the circle, Rapunzel saw how close the older group was, despite being placed in different houses. Just like her own group.

"So, how did all of you guys become friends anyways?" Jack asked the same question on the young blonde's mind. Most houses kept to themselves, despite the truce between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Tadashi was the one to begin the story.

"Well, I actually met all of them on the train, kind of like you guys I'm guessing. I was lucky enough to find an empty coach, though obviously it didn't stay empty. Gogo and Honey Lemon bumped into each other right outside the door and saw I was the only one in there so they joined me." He smiled at the memory, giving a small laugh while Gogo blushed slightly.

"More like crashed. Gogo was running through the train like someone was chasing her." Honey Lemon laughed at her own memory of the same events, causing Gogo to turn an even darker shade. Fred was the next to jump in.

"I saw the whole thing. I thought they looked really cool so I checked out their coach and saw there was space so I joined in." Gogo interrupted him.

"Yelling 'go,go,go, Gogo', It sounded really weird until he plopped down. Then he introduced himself, pointed to me and said 'I'm going to call you Gogo cause you go go go.'" She said, pointing her finger at the introduction and deepening her voice. Then entire group burst out laughing at the over exaggerated voice.

"By now, I was still struggling to find a seat. When I passed their coach, Tadashi called out to me and asked me join them. They shifted around to make room for me." Wasabi explained his part.

"After we introduced ourselves." Gogo interrupted, crossing her arms with a grin.

"And Fred gave everyone a nickname." the rest of the older student gave a small giggle before Tadashi continued.

"We just kind of clicked. I don't even remember most of the trip. We were just talking the whole time about anything and everything. When we were sorted, we were all kind of sad we weren't together. But, then some of the prefects showed us DA and we met again. Since then, we meet sometimes in the library or at DA to hang out."

"But it's nothing like you guys." Wasabi said, almost looking proud.

"I mean, others have had friend in other houses like us but even then, it doesn't ever include Slytherin. You guys have some kind of connection. I don't know what it is but I feel like you guys are going to change everything for the better." Honey Lemon said.

"History in the making." Came a cry from Gogo, leaning forward from her position across the circle. She raised her goblet, which had come with the room, and prepared a toast with the punch they were drinking. With another giggle, Rapunzel followed her actions as one by one the group raised their glasses.

"To making history." The young blond said, looking at each of her friends in turn. Hiccup followed her lead.

"To friends."

"To the future."

"To all of the houses." Jack finished, a small tingle running through his hand. After their toast, the group slowly cleaned up, the food gone. Slowly they trickled out the door, each leaving for their own common rooms. Jack moved off on his own, the only Slytherin to join their group. The rest left in groups, Merida thankful for Gogo and Astrid in case Ashley was still awake. Rapunzel, Kristoff and Honey walked back together while Fred ran ahead, hopping and leaping every few steps.

"Thank you Honey, it was exactly what all of us needed." Rapunzel said. The tall blonde just smiled and the group returned to a peaceful silence until they returned to the Hufflepuff common room, Honey tapping each barrel in turn to open the door. That night, Rapunzel fell asleep quickly, her worries alleviated but not gone.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning brought a strange view for everyone. At first nothing seemed out of place, each of the houses sitting at their table eating breakfast and a few hello's tossed between three of the tables. Slytherin usually kept to themselves but Jack usually sat at the end, waving over to each of the other tables while the rest of his house ignored him. By now it was normal even for the other houses to see the single Slytherin waving to others, accepting his small interaction despite their dislike for the rest of the house with the obvious exceptions within Gryffindor. Even Merida was able to get away with waving hello in the mornings Astrid on one side, Gogo on the other and Glint across the three girls, all joking around with her. He wasn't doing any harm despite his placement and some of the other students from DA would wave as they passed in the hall, still nervous but slowly learning about the cheerful boy underneath the house stigma.

This morning though brought something different, something new, something that disturbed the other houses despite the typical view in previous years. Jack was sitting in the middle of the long table, squeezed in between a first year and a sixth year with the older student draping his arm around the young boy's shoulders. Hiccup was the first to enter the dining hall with Fishlegs crashing into the small boys back. Peering around his shoulders, the blonde saw Jack's new seat, his eyes growing wide. Hiccup tried to wave but the Slytherins glared and pulled Jack into their conversation. The two boys slowly made their way to their own table, the smaller of the two visibly upset.

Next was Rapunzel, her thick braid bouncing when she first entered. Last night had revived her, a bright smile lighting her up. She waved to Hiccup first only for her smile to slowly fade when only Fishlegs responded halfheartedly. Turning to where Jack typically sat, her wave was cut off when she didn't see him. Looking around, her eyes passed him several times before she spotted his small mop of messy brown hair seated low between two black haired boys. Both of them were leaning in, almost covering him from view. Like her friend from Ravenclaw, all she received for her positivity was a stern glare. Jack glanced up but looked away as soon as he made eye contact. Her shoulders feel as she made her way to Honey Lemon, who immediatly drew her into a hug.

The last of the group to arrive was Merida, the most anticipated reaction by everyone. Even still, Astrid tensed her should at the first sign of red hair, breathing a sigh when Glint moved to his usual spot.

"What happened to Jack?" were the first words out of his mouth, shocked as everyone by the sudden acceptance by the house for the young half blood. Especially Cygnus Malfoy, someone who took more after his mother than his father, both in looks and personality.

As was tradition, Scorpius married a pure blood who was as pure as they come. Cepheus on the other hand took after her father through and through.

Finally the young redhead entered the room. She called out to Rapunzel and Hiccup in turn, looking at their house friends in confusion when there was little response. Turning to the Slytherin table, she took note of where Jack sat as well as the boys crowding around him with a frown. He had never been the popular one so how had all of them changed their minds at once. She moved towards her table, just passing the end when Ashley stood in her path.

"Merida, come sit with me." without waiting for an answer she reached over and pulled the surprised redhead down on the bench beside her. The blonde kept her grip on Merida's arm until the end of breakfast, going as far as walking out the large door with her. She was happier than she had been for a while, not even glancing over at the table of snakes.

The group was unable to meet up with Jack, whenever they tried to talk to him during class another Slytherin would come over and drag him away. Even when they were able to get him alone he would turn the other way, barely sparing them a glance. The three friends were upset, keeping a small smile whenever their friends were around but when evening came, they would hide themselves away in the Hogwarts common room, staying in their special room that they soon figured could only be opened by them. There, Hiccup spent his time reading silently not looking up from one of the many books he pulled of one of the shelves. Merida would lay her head down on the table, her wand held lazily in her hand as a small fireball flew around her. Rapunzel would curl up in her chair, her arms around her legs.

The rest of their growing group of friends were also quieter, though far from the core group. Astrid, Fishlegs and Kristoff would follow into the common room, finishing up homework or just talking, occasionally tossing a worried look at the closed off door. The sixth years would pop in as well and help the younger students or do their own work, after learning of the room when they badgered the first years as to where the others would disappear and equally loving the room. Glint and Glimmer were invited too and slowly the once empty room began to fill with voices and laughter, still quieter than that perfect night.

Finally enough was enough. Astrid was the first to voice her thoughts.

"We have to figure out what is going on with Jack." Honey Lemon looked over at the heavy door and nodded.

"You're right. That group has a deeper connection than most and this is tearing them apart." Her shoulders sunk. Gogo nodded fiercely, though surprisingly Fred was the voice of reason.

"Cool. How are we going to get Jack though?" He looked towards the others for ideas while they just stared in shock, their eyes wide at the thought of him having an intelligent question. Tadashi shook it off and answered his question.

"That will be the hardest part. There is always someone with Jack to help steer him away from anyone from the other houses." Fishlegs frowned, thinking back to the times he and Hiccup passed him in the hallway. That was one of the few times they had seen the boy without someone beside him so of course they had tried to talk to him but he shook them off, immediately heading in the other direction.

"It's not just that though. Jack has been on his own for a bit but he never stops to talk to us. I think there is something going on with him to keep him away from everyone else."

"Not that Ashley is complaining. She must have something to do with this, she is acting way too happy to not be connected somehow." Astrid said, crossing her arms.

"Let's focus on Jack first. Once we get the group back on track we can focus on figuring out how Ashley is connected to all of this." Tadashi sent another glance towards the closed door. It would be another hour at least before any of them saw the light. Turning back to the group circled close to one of the many fireplaces, he braced his arms on his knees, deep in thought. He sighed as he hung his head, Honey Lemon placing a comforting hand on his back. Gogo huffed and stood up, marching over to the heavy wooden door even as her friends called out to her. The group looked around at each other before standing as well and moving to surround the door. Gogo held her wand in one hand, clenched in a tight fist as she raised her other hand and banged on the door.

"Hey, get out here and help us already. We get that you four are a group but this is ridiculous. Now open this door and help us figure out how to get your friend back or I will start sending whatever spells I think will work at this thing." She called out, her voice echoing throughout the room. She waited only a few seconds before raising her wand, sending a variety of spells at the simple door with none making a single dent.

Inside the small room, Rapunzel jumped at the sound of Gogo banging hard on the door. Merida almost sent her fireballs into the bookshelf, the books only saved by Hiccup sending a small burst of wind with a flick of his wand and sending the fire into the already lit torches lightning the wall. He barely even looked up from the thick book in his hand as he replaced his wand inside his robe and held the book in both hands. At the older students words, the two girls looked up from their seats, their eyes meeting as they held a silent conversation and nodded in agreement. Rapunzel stood and slowly moved towards to door. She gently opened to reveal the entire group crowded tightly around the entrance. She gave a small giggle at how tightly they pressed together, all leaning inward just behind their leader.

"Great, now let's all come out here and figure out a plan." Gogo said firmly, nodding her head at her own idea and pushing the others back to move back toward the couches they were seated at before, plopping down on the nearest spot. The rest of the odd group followed, either sitting on one of the couches or on the floor close to the fireplace Merida had lit before escaping. The weather was slowly warming up but the fire helped to stave off the last few waves of cold air that lingered still. Rapunzel was the first to join them, taking the empty seat between Honey Lemon and Wasabi. Merida followed, the same frown etched on her face that had been there since the beginning. Hiccup was the last to leave the small room, taking his book with him but keeping it closed on his lap.

"Okay, we're out here. So what's the plan." Hiccup said, quick and to the point. His fingers flexed on the cover of the book, his thumb making his page.

"We were hoping you guys would have an idea." Fishlegs said sheepishly.

"Look, let's just get our heads together and brainstorm ideas. We'll figure out a plan together." Gogo said, the group nodding in unison.


	15. Chapter 15

Progress was slow, with several ideas thrown out as soon as they were suggested. The first step they all agreed on was the fact that they had to get Jack alone. Regardless of any other ideas they had, if there was another Slytherin nearby they could ruin everything. That would be hard on its own, since they seemed to follow him wherever he went these days. Sitting next to him in class, walking beside him between classes, even going as far walking him to the bathroom like a pair of gossiping girls. The only times anyone has seen him alone is when he deliberately shakes off his tail, only to be found a few minutes later. It was sheer coincidence the two boys were able to say anything to him when they saw him alone once. Finally, Hiccup came up with the first idea not to be objected outright.

"Let's send him a letter. We pretend it's from his mom or sister, in case the other Slytherin's read it as well, and find a way to get him to come to this room. The other Slytherin's don't know about it so even if he's only able to escape for a few minutes, he should have enough time to hide in here before they find him."

"We will need a good reason for him to come. Even on the rare occasion he's on his own, he turns the other way as soon as he sees any of us." Astrid added. The group nodded, falling back into silence as they all tried to come up with a reason Jack would come to the Hogwarts common room.

"You know what, we all know you guys are practically inseparable. There is no way he is staying away on his own. Let's just leave him an anonymous note telling him to come to this room." Gogo complained. Everyone turned to stare at her in shock, all of their eyes widening in surprise as they register what she said.

"True, you guys are an enigma, a group combining all of the houses seamlessly. Ever since that first day of school, you guys seemed to have a connection that no one else could match. Honestly it's almost creepy." Wasabi said, shrugging his shoulders. Rapunzel, Merida and Hiccup looked at each other, uncertain of what the rest were saying. Tadashi was the one to give the finale vote.

"I say we do it." the trio turned to him, surprised at his agreement to the simple plan. "Like Wasabi said, you four have some kind of connection that people search for. The only other friends I have ever heard of having as deep a connection as you was Harry, Ron and Hermione, as crazy as that sounds. I think this plan will work. We don't know exactly what is going on or why Jack is acting like he is so most plans we make will have too many variables. This plan gives him a choice as well, whether he wants to stay with his house or rejoin you guys. And I think he will choose you three."

The plan was put into motion the next day, early in the morning. Honey Lemon convinced Shimmer, another Weasley in Hufflepuff, to help deliver the message and she agreed easily. Like most of the school, she had come to expect the four students together and was as shocked as everyone else at the sudden change in dynamic. She entered the main hall before most of Slytherin, giving a small nod to the three blondes sitting in a row. Rapunzel glanced over at Hiccup and Merida in turn, each of them nodding in return. Now it was a waiting game, until they had finished classes and could quietly head to the Hogwarts common room.

Rapunzel placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands as she sighed. She remembered how her parents had reacted when she received her Hogwarts letter. Both of them had gone to Hogwarts, him in Ravenclaw and her in Hufflepuff, so her acceptance created a flurry of excitement from the two of them. They held a huge celebration in Corona, the small kingdom her parents ruled over, and released hundreds of lanterns into the air and filling the sky with light. As always, they went a little overboard but she loved them nonetheless. Even when she told them about her unique friendship to one of each of the other houses they were excited to meet her first friends at the wizarding school. Knowing them, they would throw a huge feast if she ever brought them over. She was still debating whether to subject her friends to her overbearing parents.

She grabbed an apple in front of her and slowly began to eat, still traveling down memory lane. It was only when Kristoff shook her arm that she returned to reality, just in time to rush to her first class. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally landed in a seat, not eager to be late for professor Pitches class. He always made whoever was late write a full report on whatever they covered that day, something she was not eager to repeat after the first few times her hair made her late. Kristoff settled in the seat next to her, the two of them sharing a small smile as the class began.

"Today we will begin our lesson the Gytrash, a nocturnal spirit who is known to be vicious." He began, glaring at two girls in the back as they muttered about how beautiful the creature was on the projector. They quickly quieted down, no one making a sound as he began talking about the origins of the beast. After what felt like an eternity, with some students only being kept awake by their fear of being called out. Rapunzel was one of the few who listened eagerly, always fascinated by the magical creatures that existed. Finally time wound down, the students packing up their parchment and quills as the dark robed professor called out the nights homework.

Rapunzel danced around Merida, who was waiting just outside the door for her own DADA class and sped off to her next class, eager for the end of the day to finally come. She was a naturally cheerful girl, even more so when those around her were happy. The joy she felt when helping others brightened her smile. Kristoff trailed behind her as she skipped to their history class, not even the monotonous voice of Professor Binns could dull the anticipation of finally seeing her Slytherin friend once more. Later, far too late in her opinion, the day came to an end and she met her friends in the common room like every night before. The major difference this time was the addition of a bright red head practicing sparks with Gogo and a skinny brown haired boy pouring over a thick tome on the floor near the fireplace.

"Careful there. You have better control over those fireballs of yours than these red sparks." Hiccup cried out a bright red spark wizzed close to his book. Rapunzel leaned sideways to see the title of the book, not at all surprised to see the same history book he had been reading since the group first discovered the secret common room. He would occasionally swap it out for one of the many spell books lining the shelves only to return to this same leather covered novel, stating it had the most information so far. Though he still couldn't figure out what was taught to these mysterious students or why the history of the castle was changed to exclude Salazar Slytherin.

By now though he was fairly certain their unique abilities had something to do with what those mysterious lessons were. The timing of the four students getting those marks, along with the message from the sorting was too big of a coincidence to ignore. But there was still something more, something he couldn't quite figure out yet, something that he felt was bigger than anything before though he wasn't certain exactly why he thought this. Until then, he continued to search for the answer resting just outside his reach.

Time slowly ticked past, the large room silent as the group waited to see if their friend showed up. Merida finally settled down a bit, her excitement dying as Jack continued his absence. Rapunzel tried to keep herself occupied with her sketch book, over half of it already filled with different plants and animals she had seen around the school, but she would continually glance over at the door as she waited for it to open. Hiccup was less obvious but he often turn his eyes up to the tall clock in the corner with barely a turn of his head.

Gogo was the only older student there, the rest of her mini friend group working hard on an essay for Professor Joy in their own common rooms. Takashi, Glow and Honey Lemon especially had to hang around their own houses equally, helping the younger students and keeping an eye for any mischief along with their other duties as prefects. Wasabi and Fred both promised to join the group once they had finished, though Wasabi would probably take longer due to his need to perfect everything.

Just as Merida heaved a sigh, moving to stand and head for bed, the door slowly creaked open. All of the heads in the room turned so fast you could hear it, eager to see the friend they had been waiting for. Rapunzel's hair swung with her head and hit her shoulders, barely registered in her anticipation. A brown haired boy walked through the door but everyone's shoulders visible fell at the view. Fred looked around the group in confusion only to realize there was still one person missing. He gave the group a soft smile, smaller than his typical full blown grins.

"He still hasn't come yet huh?" he said quietly, barely breaking the silence that had fallen on the room.

Gogo looked around the group, only meeting the gaze of Astrid as the others bowed their heads. They had all expected Jack to come by now, to have escaped his house as soon as classes were done and rush to their secret room just like the rest of them had. The lack of response was all he needed.

He moved to the same couch as Rapunzel and had barely sat down before the sound of the large door opening was heard once more. This time, none of the group even tried to raise they heads, thinking it was just the rest of the older students coming to ask the same question.

"Ummm, hi." came a soft voice, almost as though the person wasn't sure if they should speak. Hiccup's head shot up, immediately recognizing the voice. There Jack stood, hesitating at the doorway as he glanced over his shoulder before creeping in and closing the door softly behind him. Rapunzel gasped and Merida threw herself towards him when the two girls realized it was who they had been waiting for.

"You idiot, you had us worried." Merida said, shaking his shoulders. Gogo finally pulled her away as Rapunzel giggled. A small smile appeared on the older Gryffindor student's face, hearing the sounds she had been missing. Jack gave his own small smile but a frown replaced it almost as quickly.

"Look, I can't stay long. They will be searching for me if they haven't started already." he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"What exactly is going on Jack? Suddenly you stop talking to us, you hang out with the normal Slytherins, ignore us in the hallways. What happened to you?" Hiccup said, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice. Jack sighed and sat down on one of the chairs heavily, as though just thinking of it added several pounds. He began explaining how his world changed in a single night.


	16. Chapter 16

_AN: Sorry for the late post, I had some serious writers block with this chapter. Also obviously don't own a lot of the characters except for OC's._

 _As soon as Jack returned to the Slytherin common room, he quickly muttered the password, eager to get to bed and go to sleep with the some of the best memories he has ever made. When the wall opened though, the common room was filled with students. The eerie green light make Professor Pitch look even more sinister than he remembered. He stood tall in the center of the group, most of them surrounding the black cloaked teacher with only a few exceptions. His gaze snapped to Jack as soon as the young boy stepped through the entrance way._

" _See now, this is what I want to help fix." his words dripped out. Jack looked around the room, seeing most of the eyes on him as he slowly walked further into the room. Just in front of the fireplace he saw Cepheus with her nose buried in her book like usual, trying to ignore what was going on behind her. Sometimes Jack wondered why she was placed in Slytherin even though she was as smart as those in Ravenclaw. He thought about how much she and Hiccup could talk about before turning back his focus to the group in front of him._

" _Now everyone, I understand that Professor Terr is your head of house but I care for you, after all I am an alumni of this house as well. I just want to help everyone become the best Slytherins they can be." Most of the older students were nodding along with the professors words, some with grins on their faces though Jack wouldn't think they meant well. "So, I want to implement some rules that I think will help in the long run."_

 _Jack grimaced at the thought of what kind of rules he would make. Class alone was filled with a million fo rules to follow, most of which were just ridiculous and unnecessary. No talking unless told to, not writing anything other than notes on the class, hands remain on the desk if they aren't being used for writing or practising spells as directed by the professor, no slouching, no breathing loudly, the list went on and on. His first Defense Against the Dark Arts class was spent listening to him go through the entire list as well as the consequences for breaking each and every one of them. He could only think about what the dark professor had in mind for the entire house._

" _The first one is no more contact with the other houses, especially Gryffindor." Jack's mouth fell open at this, shocked that this would even be a rule. "I want everyone to focus on coming together as a house so work with those in Slytherin."_

 _Jack frowned, uncertain how this kind of rule could even be reinforced. It wasn't like Professor Black could control everyone, especially since he wasn't the head of house. And the headmaster had to be against this, if he even knew to begin with. No matter what though, he wouldn't stop talking to his friends just because one teacher said so. It didn't matter what house they were part of everyone was part of Hogwarts. An idea flashed through his head, to try and introduce more students to the Hogwarts common room and include everyone. To try and make all four houses part of one Hogwarts. Even in his head it sounded cheesy and ridiculous but the secret room was a place for the whole school, somewhere that didn't care where each person was from or what characteristics placed them in which house._

 _Even as the idea was forming, his mind flew back to the night he had just come back from. They were all from different houses and years but they still had so much fun together. Why couldn't the rest of the school see the four house as parts of a whole? Just like the school crest._

" _Now I know a small few of you don't want to follow these simple rules. So as a small incentive, I will guarantee expulsion for any so called friends you have from other houses. So anyone who thinks they would take the punishment for their friends, remember that they would be the ones paying, not you. On the other hand, those who help enforce these rules will be rewarded." Jack froze mid thought as the professor slowly walked out of the room, not missing the small smirk he wore as their eyes connected. Reality began to sink in as he turned to face the rest of the house, their fierce eyes towards him._

 _The days that followed had him as a major target. Everyone knew of his close friendship with the other houses and while most of the school tolerated it, the incentives Professor Pitch gave overpowered the indifferent attitude previously held by most of his house. That very first morning, before everyone was shocked by the new arrangement, Cygnus was waiting for Jack in the common room. Instead of ignoring the boy as usually, the pale blonde stepped forwards._

" _Hey Jack, ready to head down for breakfast?" he said, though it didn't sound like a question. One of the sixth year boys came to stand on the other side of Jack, tossing an arm around him. Jack only vaguely knew him as Warren Wittle, an odd name that didn't seem to match the large black haired boy who stood tall next to the small first years._

" _Let's all head down together. I feel like I haven't been able to get to know you since you're always off with those other houses." Warren gave a grin that reminded Jack of an animal. He had been one of the first ones to agree with Professor Black and so it wasn't a surprise to see him as the one to make sure Jack followed along. The boys face alone reminded Jack of the consequences promised by the professor._

" _Right." was all the young boy replied, lowering his head as he tried to slid past the small crowd that had gathered only to be held in place by the strong arm wrapped around his shoulders. He jerked once more, a sudden movement in the hopes of being released. He failed to escape but a small laugh spread through the crowd at his attempt._

" _Common on, we're all Slytherin's." With those words the house began it's trek to the great hall. There weren't many people there yet, it being still early. Jack usually left earlier than the rest of his house in an attempt to separate himself farther from the pressure of their expectation but this morning they had anticipated this and acted accordingly. The few already there he recognized, with most of them early risers like himself and who he had started to trade morning greetings with. The serpent group walked between the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables, passing Cara who stopped her greetings when faced with the distorted expressions of the rest of the group. Just as Jack had begun to gain enough of her trust to talk, the house pulls him two steps back. The entire group settles down in the middle of the long benches on either side of the table._

 _This was how the group found them later that same morning, with the young blonde on one side and the large sixth year on the other as the rest of Slytherin leaned closer, glancing around to jeer at the group of watchers. Jack would look up, searching for his friends every one and a while only to have Warren's grip remind him of what would happen to them and he bowed his head once more. He tried to keep as much of a distance as possible, once managing to escape their looks only to come across Hiccup and Fishlegs. His body began to move towards his friends but his feet were held in place by a voice._

" _They would be the ones paying." Professor Blacks voice floated through his mind and he turned to run away. In the span of a breath he debated turning back and telling them everything. His own voice fighting the professors until he saw several third year Slytherin's standing at the other end of the hall, their own voices adding to the professors and queling his own._

 _After that he kept to himself, staying late at the library and trying to ignore those around him, the Slytherin's who watched him, the Ravenclaw's who occasionally looked up from their own books at the strange scene, the glares from Gryffindor and the curious looks from Hufflepuff. All the while he tried to figure out how he could get out of this situation without hurting his friends, watching for when he could get out on his own. When the groups message finally came, he only ever had a few minutes to himself late at night. So he planned his route in his mind during Charms class. That night, he stayed late as always reading about the Hogwarts history. Finally his "guard dogs" for the night started to pack up while Jack stayed seated, gesturing that he would stay a bit longer. The two older boys shrugged and moved to a small corner at the back of the library where they could mess around without worrying too much about the monitor. Jack grabbed his stuff and slowly made his way out, being careful not to be noticed by the other Slytherin's. He soon made it to the secret room, glancing over his shoulders before easing the door open, leading to where they were now._


	17. Chapter 17

_AN:I know I'm late again. I don't know why but this part has been really hard for me to write. I finally finished this part but fair warning I might be a bit late with the next chapter. I have the rest of the story done but this bit is a struggle._

By the time he had finished, all eyes were glued to him. Everyone was leaning in, trying to figure out if what he said was true. Hiccup was the first to voice their opinions.

"Can he actually do that?"

That was the part that shocked them all the most. It seemed like something only the headmaster could do, expelling students. Maybe the head of house could talk to the headmaster about a student but a random teacher who happened to be part of the house before they graduated? There was no way he could uphold his promise. Could he?

"I don't know for sure. The way he said it though sounded like a promise. Like he knew he could actually make it happen." Jack rested his arms on his legs and lowered his head. Even though he was able to tell his friends, he couldn't stay with them. No matter what they did, Professor Black could expel all of them. The door silently opened once more, with none of the current occupants looking up. They all expected Honey Lemon and Glimmer, who each promised to check in with the group but the platinum blonde behind them was a shock.

"Cepheus? How did you find this place?" Jack jumped up and hurried to the door, checking the hallway for signs of other Slytherin's before pulling the three girls inside and closing the door. He looked between the small first year and the two older students standing on either side.

"I followed you from the library. I lost you for a bit at the moving staircases but then I ran into these girls and they said they knew where you might be."As Jack started to open his mouth Glimmer interrupted.

"We figured the other Slytherins where forcing you to stay away from everyone. We had seen how she reacted to the rest of her house and figured she probably wasn't one of the bad ones." Honey Lemon smiled in agreement.

"Besides, I think I may have a solution for your problem." Cepheus said softly, her hands shifting their hold on and envelope Jack hadn't noticed before. "I know how bad some of the Slytherin's can be and you always looked really happy in class with your friends. So...here."

She pushed the stiff envelope into his chest, his hands rushing up to grab it before it fell to the floor. It crinkled slightly in his hands as he stared at it, glancing at the girl who gave it to him. He moved slowly over to the corner where his friends were, sitting down in the same spot as before. The room was silent as he turned the white envelope in his hands, trying to figure out what it was or why she had given it to him. It was sealed shut with dark red wax and stamped with a seal he didn't recognize. There was no writing on the front, nothing to tell him where it had come from or where it was going. Looking up at the others surrounding him, he barely noticed the absence of one girl as he slowly broke the wax and pulled out a single sheet of parchment. He read it slowly, then a second time a little quicker. He passed it to Gogo who was sitting on his right, who in turn passed it along after reading it herself. Eventually they had all read it, all of them sighing at what they had just learned.

"Whoa." Gogo huffed.

"You said it."

"I can't believe he would even think of doing this." Glimmer said.

"I can't believe he would write everything down" Merida said, an unimpressed look on her face.

"Can't we just take this to the headmaster and tell him what happened?" Rapunzel said, thinking it to be the best course of action.

"Not with just this. He could easily say it was something you made because you don't like his

teaching. Or he could even go the other way and ask where you got it. He'll use that to show that you are in the wrong and focus the headmasters attention on that." Gogo explained. Everyone looked at her, shocked that she had thought of something so thoroughly. As her name suggested, she was typically one to just go with the flow.

"She's right. He probably has a plan if someone tries to turn him in." Honey Lemon added. Rapunzel and Merida turned to face Jack, who in turn faced Hiccup hoping for an idea from the brains of their little group.

"I agree with them. There isn't a lot we can do without having Professor Pitch turn it back on us. For now I say we talk to headmaster about the students of Slytherin. At least this way if something happens to any of us, there would be some suspicions." He said after a moment of silence.

"That can't be the only option. Can't we do anything to that professor? He is trying to split up the only group of friends that includes everyone. Something needs to happen." Merida said, her voice slowly raising. The flames in the fireplace spiked as her face turned red.

"Obviously we want to do something more but we have to be smart about this. What can we do if we are all expelled?"Hiccup said in a steady voice, trying to quell the fire. It seemed to work, diminishing the fire to a small crackling light.

"Fine." came the curt reply from the red haired girl, huffing as she crossed her arms. As always, Merida was the one most passionate about defending her friends, her feelings igniting a fire. Both metaphorically and literally. Her hand continued to glow bright red as the rest of her seemed to settle, the only indication of how she felt inside. Honey Lemon and Gogo left it alone, knowing the younger students would talk when they were ready but Fred had no such restraint, saying whatever came to mind.

"So, like, what's up with the glowing hand thing? 'Cause I've only seen once or twice and I don't get it." He said, not noticing the looks the other older students were sending him as his attention was focused on the younger group. Just as Hiccup had done the first time Tadashi had questioned him, Merida slowly covered the mark. The entire group shifted restlessly, still uncertain about revealing their little secret turned unknown history. As it was, Astrid found out by Merida's passion, Kristoff saw the glow several times before even thinking of asking what was happening and Fishlegs was told when Hiccup needed someone to help bounce ideas off of about the hogwarts history. Being the same age held some amount of automatic trust that pulled the group closer together, though still not as close as the core four.

They each looked to the others in hopes of someone having a reason for telling the persistent boy. Kristoff, the worst liar in the group, turned to Astrid, who was tied as being the toughest person in their group with Merida. He hoped she would be able to tell the older boy off, only to see her turn to her left where Rapunzel sat. The girl had curled up on the sofa, trying to not meet anyone's' eye. Glancing up, she made eye contact with the other blonde and gave a quick gasp, turning immediately to Fishlegs, the second brain of the group. Fishlegs stuttered a bit before passing the burden on to Merida, who turned to Jack and finally ended at Hiccup. Both boys were known to be problem solvers and she hoped at least one of the two would have a solution.

The two boys looked to each other, trying to find a way to explain it off through silent conversation. The only indication they were talking was the occasional nod or shake of their heads. After a few seconds of silence, they nodded in unison. Jack was the one to finally talk.

"We don't know. All we know is that it happens sometimes when we act according to the trait of our house." Short and to the point, he gave little away while at the same time being completely honest with Fred. The truth was they didn't know a lot about the glow yet, other than what was just mentioned. The legacy it carried, they have a bit more information on that. Even still, they had little knowledge of what kind of secret training the former guardians had. Fred looked like he wanted to say something else but for once no sound left his mouth.


	18. Chapter 18

_AN: Alright, I finally finished this chapter. It's really short and not my favorite by a long shot but I needed it to transition to the next chapter. The next chapter is done so I should be back on track now. Also I realized that I have been referring to Pitch Black as Professor Pitch instead of Professor Black so I will be doing that from now on._

Their plan was implemented the next morning, with each of the main four talking to their head of house about their idea. Hiccup finally created an idea that would allow all of them to hang out together without the DA professor expelling them. At least not without clear evidence. While they had wanted to keep the room as their own secret hidey hole for a bit longer, it allowed not only them but also others to meet up with other houses. After showing the Hogwarts common room to Headmaster Clause, their 'club' was allowed. Their special room in the corner was kept a secret, not ready to reveal everything quite yet. Lucky for them, the door could only be opened by the four of them and so it remained locked when the other Professors tried to open it.

A few days later, signs were posted in each of the common rooms as well as the main hall.

 _Hogwarts Common Room_

 _Third floor north hall_

 _Behind the school crest_

 _All houses are welcome to work on homework, talk and hang out with all houses_

 _No judgement, no bullying, no exclusion_

 _Breaking these rules will result in a ban from the school wide room_

Most the students ignored the post, not noticing the small piece of parchment hidden amongst all of the other papers announcing choir practice, the new meeting time for the Gobstone club and what spell to prepare for charm club. It wasn't overly advertised, the location of said room transferred by word of mouth by those who dug deep enough to see the small notice. Even still, only a few came to visit the secret room.

Cepheus was invited to join their ever growing group but she declined, preferring to remain alone. Though she could often be found in the Hogwarts common room, her nose buried in her latest book or quietly talking to Hiccup. Jack still felt that she belonged in Ravenclaw more than Slytherin, though whenever he brought it up with Cepheus she would firmly shake her head and leave it at that. Other faces would come and go, some coming often and others just popping in to see the place only to prefer their houses common room. Through this, Jack was able to become familiar with several other students. And slowly, more and more came to learn about the small brown haired boy for who he was instead of the house he was placed in.

The best part of the entire scene was that there was nothing Professor Black could say. Every night there would be two or three students at the raised dais, doing homework while the soft hum of conversation came from the sofas. Headmaster Claus was excited to have somewhere for all of the houses the be together, a concept he had been trying to work on since he first took over the school. And since the four students from each of the houses were the ones to suggest it, if Professor Black tried to expel them it would be revoked almost immediately.

Ashley on the other hand was silently steaming at the idea. Though she didn't say anything, she made it very clear that any Gryffindor who visited the school common room would not be made welcome in the houses common room, something only a few of the second and third years took to heart. The first years started following the lead of their fellow first years while the older students found her frantic ravings and silent glares ineffective. Merida kept her distance with the blonde girl, not that it was hard when Merida could often be found in the school common room, Ashley refused to even step foot on the same floor as the hidden room. The group still remained on edge in case she tried to split them up once more.

While the larger common room was used mainly for hanging out and homework between houses, DA continued to meet in their usual empty classroom. Besides the common room, this was were the group could be found, with Jack being more accepted than before now that a few people actually met him outside of the other Slytherins. It was there the group was practicing the smokescreen spell, carefully creating small puffs of smoke in the air. And it was there that Ashley finally revealed her true thoughts.


	19. Chapter 19

The door slammed open, revealing an angry looking Ashley, her wand in hand. Everyone in the DA froze, turning to face her as she surveyed the group until her gaze landed on Merida. Tadashi slowly walked towards her, uncertain as to what she would do.

"Um, Ashley? Are you okay?" He asked nervously, her eyes flicking towards him before once more focusing on Merida.

"Merida, get out here. I've warned you before, to never so much as _look_ at a _Slytherin._ You didn't listen. I told you what would happen if you didn't listen." Ashley said, her voice full of anger, poison practically dripping when she said the house's name. Merida looked around the room, making eye contact with her friends. Jack gave a small nod, moving his gaze in an attempt to find a way out. He saw the door off to the right but immediately dismissed it as he saw Ashley looking there occasionally as well, her wand slowly drifting towards it. Behind was a promising window, one that could open enough for them to get out. And with a simple _Accio_ spell, they could summon brooms beneath the window. It might seem a little extreme to some, but given the fact that a crazy 6th year looked like she wanted to fire a spell at them, he thought it was just right.

He made eye contact with Hiccup next to him, glancing towards the window. Hiccup gave him no confirmation, but slowly moved his wand to just behind his robe. A soft blue glow remained hidden only due to the position of Merida

The window popped open, a soft breeze flowing through. Rapunzel, having caught onto what they were planning, kept her eyes on girl, taking slow steps towards her.

"Ashley, would you like to talk to me?" Rapunzel said softly. She took a deep breath,understanding that what she was about to say would hurt some, but also that it would be needed to keep the blonde girl's attention. "I'm from Hufflepuff. Remember, the house of loyalty. You can talk to me. You are very kind, aren't you, looking out for those in your house. Keeping those who are evil away from those the headmaster trusted you with. Won't you talk to me?" with each sentence, she took another step towards her, keeping her voice calm and peaceful. Ashley turned to face her, still glancing back at between Merida and Jack while ignoring Hiccup and the slowly opening window.

"That right, I have been looking out for them for years. But how does this traitor repay me? By talking to a Slytherin. How dare she. How dare she talk to that _Slytherin._ Does she think she is above me? Because she's not. She's below me. I'm the one on top. I'm the gryffindor prefect. I'm in charge. So I make the rules. And I say _all slytherin must die!_ " By the time she finished her rant, she was practically yelling. She threw herself at Jack, wand out with a spell on her lips when he gave the signal to the others. With a boost from Hiccups wind, the four threw themselves out of the window, wands out calling forth a spell.

" _Accio Broom!"_ Jack called, a broom flying up under him. He reached out and pulled Rapunzel on behind him. At the same time, Hiccup called out a slightly different spell.

" _Excresco_ " He called, causing Toothless to grow and fly under him, allowing him and Merida to settle on to his back. They could all hear a screech from above, Ashley shooting spells half hazardly at them and they flew to the ground. One on the ground, they all looked up to see a broom wiz towards the open window, floating next to it to allow the blond on. With one glance at each other, they four friends hopped back on and took off, each taking a turn to glance at Jack as he tried to formulate a plan. Stealing a glance behind, Hiccup saw Jack and Rapunzel trying to keep up with the fast dragon, Ashley slowly catching up. Merida clung to his back as she too looked back. Both of them knew they were in trouble. Ashley was the best chaser on the Gryffindor team, a fast flyer and deadly accuracy that didn't help when they were trying to dodge the stun spells aimed at each of them.

" _Accio brooms!"_ came identical calls from the two girls, hopping on to their own brooms once they had caught up. Toothless had to slow down to let Merida make the short leap. With that, the four speed off, splitting in four different directions trying to see who the crazy hogwarts student behind them would go after. It only took her a second to choose the slytherin house as her target, barreling after him with the speed she was known for. Fortunately for the boy, his friends anticipated this and were soon behind the two students.

"I'll help Jack, you two girls try to find some way to stop Ashley. We can't do anything if she's out of control and shooting spells at us." With those few words, the trio split up, Hiccup urging Toothless to fly faster, watching the chase going on below him and helping Jack speed up with a bit of wind.

The two girls quickly returned to the DA classroom to find the students still there, along with several teachers. Professor Easter was the first to ask questions once the girls entered the group.

"What in the world is going on here? You girls know you are not allowed to use the brooms without professor Toothia's permission."

"Sorry professor but it was an emergency. Ashley came in here looking crazy, pointing her wand at us. She kept spouting stuff like how all slytherins were evil and how I was going to pay for talking to a slytherin." Merida explained.

"And where is Miss Greavey now?" Professor Toothia asked, looking around the room.

"Chasing our friend Jack as we speak. Please professor, you have to stop her." Rapunzel pleaded.

"What on earth are you talking about. We discussed this before and Ashley agreed to be less protective. She would never break her word. Besides, she was only doing the job of a prefect." Professor Bunnymund said, clearly looking unimpressed at the story the girls told him.

"It's true sir. She burst in here with her wand. If it weren't for the students quick thinking of leaving through the window, I believe she would have used spells worse than a simply stun spell." Honey Lemon said.

Before the professor could respond to the allegations, proof flew right in front of his eyes, in the form of his student chasing after the two first years with a wild gleam in her eyes and spells shooting from her wand in quick succession.

"Alright girls. We will discuss this more in a few minutes. Professor, I believe I will need your help. All students are to remain within the castle, understood?" The professor said, quickly hurrying off with the flight professor hot on his heels. The two girls waited until the door closed behind them before hurrying back to the window. They hopped on their brooms and flew out the window, several calls of good luck following them. The girls rose high into the air to try and find their friends in their mad chase.

"What are we supposed to do once we catch up to them? Shouldn't we leave this to the professors?" Rapunzel asked nervously, glancing towards Merida while the girl continued to look for their friends.

"We aren't leaving those two on their own. They're our friends so we need to help them." She replied, not willing to leave their friends midflight.

"I'm just thinking, we're still first years. We don't know as many spells as Ashley, plus we aren't as good at flying yet. Or at least we haven't had as much practice. What can we do?"

"Guess we'll have to figure it while flying." Merida replied, suddenly dropping down to join the two boys as they passed by, Rapunzel trying to catch up.

"Any ideas on how to end this." Merida called out to the two next to her. Hiccup took a chance to glance over his shoulder, urging his reptilian friend up next to his brown haired friend.

"Jack, hop onto Toothless. We won't be able to stay out of reach for much longer on the brooms." Hiccup said, receiving a small nod from the boy. Merida looked back herself to see the gap was slowly closing. Then Merida frowned, a sudden thought entering her mind.

"How has she not caught up already? She's one of the best chasers at this school." Hiccup frowned as well, having not thought of that himself.

"I don't know. We can ask her later but for now we need a solution."

"Hiccup, I'm going to hop over now." Jack called over the wind. Hiccup gave a small nod, drawing the dragon closer to the boy as the older student began a new volley of spells. Jack ducked down as a few of the spells flew dangerously close to where his head was just a moment ago. In a brief pause between spells, Jack hopped over to the dragon, the broom falling to the ground. Toothless remained undaunted by the extra weight, speeding up without Hiccup's urging.

"Uhh, looks like the school might need to get an new broom." Jack joked as he saw the broom splinter to pieces just before it was out of sight, the ground not providing a soft landing for the magical item.

"So, still have to figure out what we're going to do." The redhead prompted once more.

"I have an idea, but it's really dangerous." Another series of spells flew through the air, Toothless barely avoiding them.

"More dangerous than have a mad student hit us with one of her spells?" Jack still hesitated to reveal his plan. It was only when his stomach leapt to his throat as the dragon dropped to avoid the stun spell aimed at his head did he lay out the plan.

Without question, Merida flew up, slowing down just enough to drop behind the blond girl while Rapunzel followed the chase from underneath. The two boys on the dragon lead the chase lower to the ground, maintaining their breakneck speed. Students were slowly filling the windows as the group flew by, curious to see what was going on.

The group all flew to the bridge, toothless folding his wings and spinning as he passed between two beams. Merida flew over top of the bridge while the other two girls passed underneath. The chase lead around the north tower and back towards the Quidditch pitch as the group began to put their plan into action. Toothless suddenly dropped, sending him and the two boys on his back straight towards the ground with Ashley not far behind. Just before they crashed into the ground, Toothless pulled up, flying parallel to the grounds just a few feet below. Ashley kept pace with them, slowing down slightly as she came closer to the ground then speeding up as she continued the chase. She was soon slowed down though by the smoke coming off of the tail end of her broom. Above the group, Merida quickly put her wand back into her robe as her broom wobbled, still unused to casting spells mid flight.

Ashley screamed in frustration, glaring quickly at Merida before turning back to her target and sending a frenzy of spells at the two boys, not caring where they hit.

" _Incendio! Incendio! Immobilus! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!"_ Streams of fire flew by, followed soon by a wave of red spells attempting to stun all three of them. Toothless managed to dodge most of the spells, though Hiccup was uncertain where his stomach ended up during the constant spinning. One of the many stun spells managed to hit the black dragon but it did not affect him, making Jack very happy to have switched to the dragon.

The fire Merida had sent earlier was growing quickly, causing the broom to struggle as Ashley tried to stay on course. Rapunzel stayed close behind the sixth year, watching as the broom spun out of control and sent the older girl flying. As planned, she sent a spell towards the ground where Ashley was going to land.

" _Spongify!_ " came a loud cry from the naturally calm girl. Ashley bounced a few times before the ground returned to normal and she remained on the ground, stunned by what had transpired. By this time the two professors, who had struggled to keep up with the group finally caught up, landed. Professor Toothia sent ropes to tie the girl as she gained her bearings and reached for her wand, her eyes never leaving Jack.

As professor Toothia brought the older student back inside the castle, Professor turned to face the four students in front of him. His face held a deep frown as he stood silently, scrutinising each of them in turn. Finally he gave a heavy sigh.

"Look, you guys shouldn't have done anything there. First years are not allowed to use brooms outside of class without a teacher's permission. Not to mention you aren't allowed to use spells on other students." Jack flinched, knowing he was the one who suggested brooms in the first place. Rapunzel bowed her head, not one to break any of the rules while Merida faced the professor, meeting his eyes. "That being said, nice one. You kids got her too the ground and no one else got hurt. You did good. The professors will take it from here."

The four friends were left to stare as professor Bunnymaud returned to the castle. They glanced at one another as wide grins took over their faces. Rapunzel was the first to move, pulling Merida and Jack close while she laughed and grinned. Merida glanced at Jack who shrugged his shoulders and put one arm around the blonde girl while reaching over to pull Hiccup into the large group hug. Not to be left out, Toothless nudged his head between Hiccup and Merida while giving his own namesake grin. The group laughed at his actions before breaking apart and returning to the castle themselves.

"Well students, that concludes another year. Congratulations on a fun and eventful time at Hogwarts and we hope to see many faces next year. With that, let's eat." A flourish of the headmasters arms brought food to cover every inch of the long tables. Jack gave Hiccup a big grin as their eyes met, waving back excitably to Rapunzel from across the room as Merida rolled her eyes at their antics with a smile of her own.

"So, what exactly was up with Ashley?" Astrid asked, having stayed in the DA room during the high speed broom chase. After the professors brought Ashley inside, they had questioned the four of them about what had happened, as well as some of the other Gryffindors who had talked about Ashley before but were not believed.

"The professors said they aren't sure what happened. They think she just went off the deep end. Apparently she keeps screaming about how Jack was going to kill us and how all of the other houses were plotting to take down Gryffindor. How she came up with that we have no idea. She had always hated Slytherin and us being friends was too much." Merida replied, barely getting the explanation out as she was pulled into other conversations, everyone wanting to know what had happened and how four first years were able to stop a sixth year. Not to mention out flying the best chaser on Gryffindor's team. The others weren't having any easier of a time, not even Jack.

"Alright, alright. That's enough let's give her a bit of room." Glimmer said from her seat next to the brown haired boy from Ravenclaw. Hiccup began to relax only to jump when she began her typical stream of conversation. "Seriously though, how did you guys out fly her? She's literally the best chaser at this school right now. She's almost better than great aunt Ginny. And she was pretty good. Plus you guys were throwing spells like it was normal. That's hard for everyone, even sixth years like me. How did you guys figure out what to do? You told Merida to fly above? 'Cuz that was smart. And having Rapunzel underneath was perfect. Just in case things went wrong, right? I mean right as in correct, not if everything went right. And then having…" At this point Tadashi came to the young boys rescue, putting a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Let's give them a bit of space." He said. Glimmer pouted in protest but she agreed, causing Hiccup and Fishlegs, who was being questioned just as much for his friendship to the others, to heave a huge sigh of relief. They finished eating and returned to their room to finish packing everything.

Hiccup finished quickly, wandering around the castle before he had to leave. He soon found himself in front of the Hogwarts crest that led to the school common room. He pressed his hand to the invisible door, lighting up the Gryffindor symbol and pushing it open. Unexpectedly, the room was not empty. Rapunzel was twirling around the center of the room, her long hair spinning around her. Jack was lying on one of the couches, his legs hanging over the edge and his wand in his hand, sending red and green sparks into the air. Merida was sitting front of the fireplace near Jack, waving her wand in sync with the flames. All three glanced up as they heard him enter.

"So, you guys had the same idea."

"I just wanted to say goodbye to this place before I went home." Rapunzel said, out of breath from her dancing. "Plus I don't have to worry too much about my hair in here."

"Ya, this place you can let your hair down." Merida said with a grin, sharing a short laugh with Jack. The four shared a small smile as they all looked around the empty room. The rest of the students were finishing up their own packing. They were all silent, none of them wanting to break the calm feeling they all felt. Finally Hiccup broke the silence.

"We should get going. The train will be here soon." The others nodded, all of them slowly moving towards the door.

"Then I guess we'll see each other next year." Rapunzel said, smiling brightly as the group split up and headed home.


End file.
